3,662 Miles
by seyella
Summary: A Soulmate AU where the closer one is to their soulmate, the warmer it becomes, and the further one is, the colder it becomes. This is USUK with a little side of PruCan.
1. I

No one was quite sure as to why the world was the way it was. It worked in mysterious ways. One moment, it was on your side, the next, it wanted absolutely nothing to go well for you. One of the most notable of the world's ways being was the concept of soulmates.

Soulmates were an abstract concept, two people destined to be together from the moment they were born. As romantic as it sounded, it did cause quite a bit of trouble. But, for the most part, it was positive, bringing even the most hopeless of people together. It was quite simple, really. The closer one is to their soulmate, the warmer it becomes. The further one is from their soulmate, the colder it becomes. Of course, this doesn't take effect until the age of ten, when a person has successfully lived a decade in the world. If soulmates happen to be different ages, "the Soulmate Effect", as many scientists had dubbed it, does not take place until the younger of the soulmates reaches the age of ten. When one's tenth birthday does eventually come, they do not experience the Soulmate Effect until the very tenth candle is blown out on the birthday cake; unless, of course, their soulmate happens to be of younger age of them. Then the effect does not take place for either until their soulmate blows out the final candle.

The concept, strange as it is, worked out well. It helped people find not only love, but a beautiful friendship as well. Never has there been a couple that has not succeeded in their relationship. The world does work in mysterious ways, after all.

 _23 April 2004_

Arthur stirred restlessly in bed, occasionally making little groaning noises as he turned. Why wasn't his mother up yet? It was his _birthday_! And not just any birthday, but his tenth birthday! This was the most important birthday! Arthur's birthday was so late into the school year… in April! He had to wait all the way then to experience the Soulmate Effect. It was no fair…

Arthur sat up in bed, accepting the fact that his mother was probably never getting up. The young blond stuck his bottom lip out and crossed his arms, pouting. It was almost 09:00! Shouldn't she be up by now…?

Thought in mind, Arthur climbed from his bed and walked down the stairs, nearly slipping due to the fact that he was still in his socks. He grabbed onto the railing by the stairs, but, to no avail, as he fell down the stairs when he finally thought he had a good grip.

Fortunately, it wasn't long of a distance, as their stairs only went a fairly short way. Still, it did smart quite a bit…

Arthur sat, now on the ground floor, and rubbed his elbow. It really hurt.

"Arthur, darling?"

The young boy looked up at the sound of his name, eyes filled with tears. His mother was up, finally! Perhaps the noise had woken her up…

Upon seeing her son on the ground, with tears in his eyes no less, Ms. Kirkland pulled him up from the ground and knelt down to his level.

"Are you alright? Where are you hurt?" Ms. Kirkland looked around at her son's body for any blood or scratches. Arthur lifted his elbow, sniffling.

"I fell and now my elbow hurts…"

"Oh! Is that all? I'll get you a plaster for that and it'll make you feel better! Just remember to stay right in this room" Ms. Kirkland winked, scruffing her son's head, and walked off to the cabinet for the plasters.

Arthur watched his mother walked away and frowned. Was she not going to wish him a happy birthday?

"Hmph," Arthur crossed his arms and flung himself on the sofa, burying his head in a pillow.

His mother returned soon after, with not only a plaster in hand, but a dish of food in the other. And not just any food, but Arthur's absolutely favourite cereal, Coco Pops!

Arthur slowly took his head from the pillow and sat up on the sofa, a smile beginning to form on his face.

"You wouldn't think I'd forget about your birthday, now would you, Arthur? I've poured you a bowl of Coco Pops that I picked up at the grocer's last night! And as promised, I have that plaster right here for your elbow," Ms. Kirkland handed the bowl to Arthur and sat down next to him. "Make sure you set your breakfast on the coffee table so I can put this on your elbow."

Arthur nodded, a bit of hair flopping in his face, and set his dish on the table, lifting up his elbow for his mother to put the plaster on. It had little bunnies on it.

It only took a small moment, but once it was put on, Arthur did feel much better. Happily, he picked up his cereal and shovelled the chocolate-y deliciousness into his mouth.

His mother laughed, quite happy at seeing her son enjoying himself. This was a very important day, after all. He was to begin to find his soulmate today. This day would forever alter his future.

It was about eight hours later when the time had come to celebrate Arthur's birthday. He was incredibly nervous, to say the least. There was no reason to be! He had been awaiting this day for quite some time, why was he wimping out now?

Arthur's eldest brother, Alistair, must have noticed he was a bit nervous, so he pulled him aside to speak to him.

"Are you nervous about today? You seem nervous."

Arthur hadn't realised he was crying until Alistair wiped a tear from his eye with his sleeve.

"It's… completely normal to be nervous! When I was your age, nine entire years ago, I was shaking with fear! It was exciting, but I couldn't help but be afraid of who my soulmate was; what if I hated them? It was ridiculous, I know, but, agh, just know it's going to be okay. I usually don't act so… helping, toward you, or anyone for that matter, but I know exactly what you're going through… So, uh, don't be sad, okay?" Alistair held out his fist awkwardly for Arthur to fist bump, and Arthur happily complied, sniffling a bit afterwards.

"Are you going to be sad anymore?" Alistair looked down at Arthur, genuine concern in his eyes.

Arthur shook his head 'no' and wiped his sleeve against his face. Alistair smiled at his younger brother and led him toward the lounge, where his mother, as well as his remaining brothers were sitting. The room was dimmed, and a large table was set out in the middle of the room, a circular cake sitting atop. The cake looked so tasty, Arthur couldn't help but stare! From the distance he was at, he could tell that the frosting was strawberry, his favourite!

Slowly, he walked toward the table and gazed upon the cake. There were ten candles on the cake, one for each birthday he has had. Once he blew out the tenth candle… he would begin to embark on a journey to find his soulmate. This one moment would… forever alter his future. How horrifying.

His three brothers were staring at him in anticipation, as his mother was giving him a subtle thumbs up. Arthur nodded, and carefully blew out each candle, one by one. Soon, nine candles were out; there was only one left. Arthur sucked in his breath, and, closing his eyes, blew out the last candle.

Nothing.

"Is it cold or hot?" Dylan asked.

"Or warm?" Seamus added.

Arthur frowned, "nothing."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Seamus' mouth gaped open as a fish's would.

"I don't feel anything. It feels exactly the same as it did before." As if possible, Arthur's mouth tilted even more into a frown.

"Oh! What if that means your soulmate is in the UK?" Dylan shrugged.

Alistair bonked him on the head with a bottle, "you know that's not true, idiot. He would've felt something." He then turned to a heartbroken Arthur. "Your soulmate is probably just younger than you, that's all. Just wait a bit, I'm sure you'll feel it in no time!"

Arthur doubted that. His real fear was to be left unspoken; his family was sure to make fun of him for it. It was ridiculous, after all. Everyone had a soulmate, how could he not have one? He needn't speak his stupid fears out loud, he would look even more stupid than he already did.

So, as any ten year-old boy would do when upset, he ran upstairs to his room, slammed the door, and buried his face into the big fluffy blanket on his bed. This was the worst birthday ever.

 _4 July, 2008_

Alfred. F Jones was a rambunctious child who enjoyed friends, jokes, and making people happy, just like any other boy his age. But, that was all about to change. Or, more so, be directed onto a different person, a certain person.

"When I meet my soulmate, I'm going to be the best boyfriend ever! I'm going to give them lots of gifts and then they'll give me gifts back! But then I'll pull out another gift and I'll say 'this is for you!' and they'll be happy! I really want to make my soulmate happy!" Alfred had been speaking consistently about his soulmate for what felt like hours to Matthew. But, who was to blame him? One's tenth birthday was an exciting event, especially in consideration of the fact that the Soulmate Effect was to begin!

Matthew, being a year older than Alfred, had first experienced his the previous year. It was… everything he had hoped it to be, really. Magical, astounding, and completely and utterly life-changing. It was no wonder Alfred was so excited for it.

Due to it being summer, the two were at home, playing outside in the garden. They had an old cushioned swing that was most likely older than they were. It was their absolute favourite thing to go on! They never had those big playsets like other kids did, but they could make fun out of almost anything! There was a big tree beside the swing that the two loved to climb! Alfred remembered Matthew almost broke his arm falling out of the tree because he saw a spider. Nevermind their family not having as much money as others, they did have quite the amount of fun with just them and their imagination.

"You're going to be a really good soulmate, Alfred!" Matthew said, giving a thumbs-up and a grin to his brother.

Alfred's eyes lit up at that. "Really? You think so?"

Matthew nodded more than a few times, "Yes! You'll be the best soulmate ever, your soulmate is one lucky person!"

Alfred's eyes widened and he pulled his fists through the air, a loud "Yes!" leaving his mouth.

Matthew could only smile at that. He wasn't only trying to be a good big brother (although only a year older), but he was genuinely serious. Alfred really did care for others. He had been talking about this day for as long as Matthew could remember… He really was excited for it, and he really did deserve the best.

"Alfred! Matthew! Your father and I are inside, if you're ready to celebrate~!" A voice called out from the doorway. Their mother! She was standing by the screen door, waving her hand in the air as a gesture for the boys to come inside.

Matthew looked at Alfred, "I'll race you."

Alfred furrowed his eyebrows and nodded.

And then they were off. Their backyard was fairly large in size (but an absolute pain to rake…), so it took the two a considerable amount of time to make it to the back door. Alfred came out the victor, cheering as he reached the steps.

Matthew panted and gave the younger a thumbs-up, who then grinned triumphantly.

"Are we opening presents first or eating cake?" Alfred pushed open the door leading to the back room and looked up at his mother.

"Hm, well, what would you like to do?"

Alfred, now in the kitchen, put his hand on his chin and hummed. "Open presents!"

Mrs. Jones was certainly surprised at her son's answer. "Alfred, wouldn't you rather blow out the candles? It is your tenth birthday, after all."

"No! Because then I'll be focussing on my soulmate instead of the presents when I'm opening the presents! I want to do presents first!"

Mrs. Jones nodded in understanding. Alfred really was a peculiar boy… She couldn't help but wonder who his soulmate was going to be. Matthew's had been quite a surprise. By the temperature he had been feeling, it was most likely someone who lived in Europe, toward the east, the doctor had said. Washington D.C. was just on the east of the United States, so it wasn't as tragic as it would have been if they had lived in Los Angeles. She just hoped Alfred's soulmate lived close; he really did deserve to be happy.

"Can I open this one?" Alfred shook a large present in front of his parents, a look of pure delight on his face.

"Oh, woah, woah, woah, Alfred! You know the rules, biggest presents go last," Mr. Jones took the over-sized present from his son and instead handed him the smallest present, about the size of a small book.

Alfred pouted, but snatched the present up anyway. Carefully, he tore the paper off and about died at what he saw. "The Indiana Jones LEGO Set I wanted!"

Matthew's mouth gaped open at that. "No way! Let me see!" The elder brother leaned over the table to look at the LEGO set.

"Look, Mattie! It's from The Last Crusade! Where he and Elsa are on the Venice Canal Chase!" Alfred excitingly pointed to the box.

Their mother and father chuckled at each other upon seeing the young boys' reactions to the LEGOs. How could they not get it for him? Alfred had been about begging for a LEGO set (and Indiana Jones no less) for the past year. It would be cruel _not_ to get them for him!

The remainder of the presents Alfred tore through fairly quickly. There weren't that many, but in all honesty, Alfred didn't mind. What he was really looking forward to was the cake afterwards. And not just the cakey-deliciousness, but blowing out that tenth candle and finding out the first clue about his soulmate! It was all so exciting, he could hardly wait.

"Cake, cake, cake!" Alfred began chanting.

Matthew noticed this and joined in. Soon enough, while their mother was off fetching the cake from the refrigerator, the brothers were chanting together. "Cake, cake, cake!"

Rather than stopping them, their father engaged in the chant as well. As Mrs. Jones walked into the room, a cake in hand, she smiled upon the sight. She was very glad that… she had found the right soulmate. Her husband was a very caring man and she was ecstatic upon how their children had turned out. She only wished just the same, if not better, for Alfred and Matthew.

When the cake was set on the table, Alfred knelt on the chair he was sitting on and looked at the cake, a huge smile on his face.

In short time, he began blowing out the candles, not bothering to even make a wish. The excitement was practically killing him!

Three candles, four, five, six, eight, and at last, the ninth and tenth were blown out, together.

What Alfred felt next was… ethereal. He felt as if he was floating, no longer in the dining room of their small home in Washington D.C., but instead up in the clouds, on the very top of a roller coaster, never coming down.

It came as fast as it left. There, Alfred was left standing in his dining room, the rest of his family staring at him expectantly. And then he felt it. A sudden burst of chilly air, but not too cold. All at once, the temperature in the room began to alter to the distance of Alfred's soulmate, and then at last, it was complete. the Soulmate Effect had officially taken place.

"Alfred, what do you feel?" Matthew, put his hands on the table, making direct eye contact with Alfred.

"It's chilly, but warm. Kinda like when you step outside on a warm day but it's windy? I guess…"

Matthew's eyes widened. "Really? Oh my gosh! That's what I feel!" He turned toward his mother. "Does this mean Alfred's soulmate is in Europe, too?"

Mrs. Jones nodded, a smile on her face. "It does, but we should go to the doctor to see! You never know, it could be different."

Alfred nodded once, but couldn't help the absolute joy he was feeling inside. This was just the beginning...

 _4 July 2008_

Arthur was fourteen when he felt it. The sudden rush of cool air, the absolute adrenaline. He happened to be laying on his bed, playing a Nintendo DS when the Soulmate Effect had taken place.

It was unexpected, to say the least.

All Arthur was focussed on was getting past this level; he had been stuck for days and he couldn't find any cheats online, so it was up to his wits and game playing abilities to pass it. Of course, all hopes and aspirations of passing this level were gone when it happened.

He felt as if he was floating, up in the clouds, never coming back down. It was… an indescribable feeling, to say the least. It was more than him just floating, it was… complete and utter adrenaline. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought that he was descending into the afterlife.

The feeling went on for a few moments, until, at last, he felt a rush of cool air and then a sudden change in temperature.

He knew what it was immediately.

Arthur's eyes widened in surprise as he took in the change around him. It was… windy? Wait, no. He was inside, it couldn't be windy. It was strange and he couldn't find the strength or even the thoughts to compose himself. It felt as if we was outside, in the early springtime, where the air was still cool but the sun was out shining. But it was _summer_. He was _inside_.

He should tell his mother… She should've been down the stairs in the kitchen, making supper. It was a Friday, she had just returned home from work, so that's where Arthur presumed her to be.

Carefully, he let himself off of his bed, adjusting to the new change in temperature and overall ambience. Where was his soulmate? It wasn't hot, not at all, so they couldn't be in Europe. Maybe Asia? Russia, even? That was a big country… it was hard to say. He had no idea, so his best bet was to ask his mother. Arthur was sure she would be ecstatic of finding out the news.

"Mum!" Arthur didn't bother waiting downstairs to call her name, he was too excited. "It happened! the Soulmate Effect! It happened!" The young teen ran down the stairs, making sure not to fall down, and trotted down.

As expected, his mother was at the bottom, waiting for him expectantly.

"It happened! It feels cool! Well, not really, but it's warm! Not Europe-warm, maybe Asia-warm? I don't know! What do you think?" Arthur rambled on, not even bothering to make space to breath in his sentences.

"Woah, calm down, Arthur. What do mean, Europe-warm and Asia-warm? The temperatures? Or where they could be?" Mrs. Kirkland asked.

"Where they could be, obviously. You're a nurse! You told Dylan his, you could tell me mine! Plus… some parts in Europe are cold."

Mrs. Kirkland frowned. "Arthur, you're going to have to be more coherent with your sentences. I can't understand a word you're saying."

"I'm not mumbling or anything…" Arthur mumbled, his smile turning into a frown. He was speaking clearly! "But it's like, when it's spring! In May! That's the weather. Like in the tens…"

Mrs. Kirkland raised her eyebrows, "Really? Hm, how strange. They're definitely not in Europe, then."

Arthur knew this, as he had already figured it out himself, but he grumbled anyway. It was going to take so long to find his soulmate. They didn't offer travelling programs at school, as they used to, they only let you find your soulmate when your schooling was complete. The latter of people finished at sixteen due to this choice.

"Which way is the wind moving? The fictional wind, but you know what I mean. Left or right? If you were to be looking toward the north. "

Arthur looked at his hands. Which way was left again? Oh, yeah. Of course.

"Left," Arthur spoke.

"Well, your soulmate is somewhere in the Americas. Judging by what you said about May temperatures, it's definitely not in the south, so either in the middle and eastern part of Canada or the United States."

Arthur stopped. His soulmate was in north America? How… strange. He knew it was a possibility, but he never would've imagined. The thought carried much contingency with it, given that it could've really been anywhere. Wait. So did that mean his soulmate spoke English?

"Does that mean they speak English?" Arthur asked.

His mother nodded, "most likely, although there are some immigrants in both places that do not speak English, but it's unlikely. You lucked out on this one! You'll definitely have to go through less trouble to find this one. Unlike poor Alistair, whose soulmate had ended up being a lady in New Zealand. He was so cold!" Mrs. Kirkland laughed, reminiscing Alistair's tenth birthday.

Alistair was the only one in the family, besides their mother, who had found their soulmate. He was twenty-four, and living with her in a small town up in Scotland. Alistair had wanted to move to New Zealand, but she had said it wasn't necessary and she much preferred it in Scotland, where he was born. The two, being soulmates, had agreed upon Scotland, sufficing both halves of the couple's wants. It was a match made in heaven, really. Arthur just hoped that his would be the same.

"If I go to Canada or the United States will I tell a difference?"

"Yes, of course! As soon as you step foot in North America, you will be able to tell which country your soulmate is from. It may not seem like it from here, but the closer you are to them, the more the temperature changes, sort of like a hint to you."

Oh… So… the more Arthur embarked on the journey to find his soulmate, the more the temperature would change? It seemed like a pain, but if it would help him find his soulmate, he deemed it something that he would have to deal with.

"Now, go empty the dustbin, it's overflowing."


	2. II

_Washington D.C., nine years later_

"La geografía de México es muy único. En el norte, hay dos desiertos. La Chihuahua y La Sonora, ambos de cual amplía en los Estados Unidos."

Alfred could feel himself falling asleep. He had barely gotten any sleep earlier that day due to staying up all night and watching this television show. Matthew had warned him that if he stayed up all night, it would be a pain in the morning, but did Alfred listen? Of course not. Mattie had been right about too many things lately, maybe Alfred really should start listening to him…

He was so tired; his glasses were on the end of his nose, about to slip off. Where was he again?

Oh, right. Spanish.

Alfred picked his head up from the desk, eyes fluttering open and closed, open and closed. How much time had passed? Only one minute… It had felt so much longer. When was this class going to end? What if he imagined something in his head to keep him awake? Oh! If he could get through this class without falling asleep, he would take himself out for burgers! Burgers did sound really good… His stomach was growling just at the thought of those delicious… juicy… meaty burgers...

"Alfred, it would be very much appreciated if you did not fall asleep in my class. If Spanish is boring you that much, you can leave."

Alfred's eyes widened and he immediately felt himself sink in his seat. How embarrassing, to be called out by the professor like that. He shook his head, "No, I just blinked."

"That was an awful long blink, hm? If you were listening, then can you translate this sentence to Spanish?" The professor raised her eyebrows.

Alfred looked toward the projector. The present subjunctive? Oh great, a new tense… How many tenses were there going to be? This was such a pain…

Alfred frowned, looking down at his notes. He had some conjugations down, but aside from that, it was just little doodles. Oh, great. He was really in for it. And then, a little piece of paper was passed his way, hidden from the professor. The answer!

"Uh, es fácil que vaya a llover."

The professor brushed a lock of blonde hair behind her ear and once more raised her eyebrows. "Gilbert, I'd appreciate it if you'd not pass Alfred notes with the answers on them during class. Especially those in which are wrong. I'd like both you and Alfred to leave this class for the day, I do not permit cheating in this room."

Alfred looked to his right at the guy who passed him the note. He had never seen him before, he must have been new. He did look a bit strange, as if his pale complexion, red eyes, and silver hair didn't tell him otherwise.

Alfred could practically feel his professor's eyes burning through his skull, so he decided to leave the room before any more unfortunate events could take place. While Alfred scrambled to pick up his stuff and leave the room, Gilbert smiled coolly, making a show of how _not_ in a rush he was. Who was this guy?

When Alfred was finally out of the room, Gilbert followed slowly, the door closing behind them.

It was silent, and Alfred couldn't help but feel awkward.

"That was the right answer."

"Huh?" Alfred turned around, now facing Gilbert.

The albino continued on, "it was the right answer, I looked off of the kid on my right's paper. You know, the one that was actually born and raised in Mexico? It was right, but I guess she just wanted to make you look like a fool in front of everyone. That's Wyatt for you."

Alfred looked toward the ground, "Oh."

Gilbert laughed, "Yeah, I know," and then moved the collar of his shirt back and forth, "damn, it's hot."

"Huh? Is- Is your soulmate here or something?" Alfred's head lifted from the ground and he looked at the man in curiosity.

Gilbert nodded, "Yeah! Believe it or not, but I just moved here from Germany. Like, literally just arrived yesterday, started some classes today. I had to learn English for my soulmate! As soon as I turned ten, I began learning."

Alfred blinked, staring off into the distance. So this guy was about to meet his soulmate? Huh. How was he feeling, should he even ask? Was it rude to ask someone questions about their soulmate? Gilbert was a stranger, after all; he had just met the guy! Maybe he shouldn't.

"What about you?"

"Me?" Alfred said, "Oh, I haven't met mine yet. I haven't gone to the doctor for it since I was fifteen. They're still in their country, because the temperature hasn't changed for me ever since my Soulmate Effect happened."

Gilbert nodded, "Hm, I see. Hey, so you're Alfred, right?"

"Yeah, Alfred Jones."

"I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt," Gilbert held his hand out for a handshake, a very strange introduction for a university student. If it wasn't obvious before that he was a foreigner, it would be obvious now.

Alfred shook his hand firmly. After all, they say you can tell a man by his handshake. Alfred wanted to give a good first impression.

"Oh! Do you want to go get some hamburgers with me? I wanted to after class, but well, I got kicked out. So, do you wanna come with me?"

Gilbert about brightened up at the idea. "Yeah, sure!"

It was so nice to meet more people! Alfred, despite popular belief, didn't have as many friends as people thought. He spoke to a great number of people, but really, the only person he spoke with on a daily basis was Matthew. He was friends with the whole world, but, when it came down to it, the only person he actually hung out with was Matthew. It would be nice to make some new ones for a change!

As the two began to walk (the burger joint was a fair distance away, only half a kilometre), something buzzed from Alfred's pocket. His mobile phone? Hadn't this died during Spanish class? Pulling out his phone, Alfred stopped, leading Gilbert to stop as well. It was a text from Matthew.

 **Mattie** _just now_

It's really hot! Omg!

"You get a text?" Gilbert asked.

Alfred looked down at his phone again. Then back at Gilbert. "Hey, didn't you say that you came here to find your soulmate? And that it was really hot?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

Alfred stopped. What were the chances that this guy was Mattie's soulmate? There were over 680,000 people living in Washington D.C. How many of those people were looking for their soulmate? It was best not to come to conclusions like this. But still… It wouldn't hurt to try?

"When did you start feeling the Soulmate Effect?"

Gilbert paused, "Well, not on my birthday. A year after that. A year and a six months, I think. I don't know exactly. The first of July in 2007, I remember."

Alfred's eyes widened. There was no denying it now, this guy was definitely his brother's soulmate.

"Why do you ask?"

"My brother," Alfred unlocked his phone, "just texted me this." He showed the text to Gilbert, whose mouth tilted into a grin. "He turned ten on the date of your Soulmate Effect, on his birthday."

Gilbert put his hand on his chin, "Really…"

Alfred nodded.

"I think I should be more excited about this but, agh, I don't know, man! It's kinda unreal, you know?"

Alfred tried to smile. He didn't know. He hadn't found his soulmate yet. Of course, he was more than glad that his brother did. Gilbert seemed like a really cool guy; Alfred was beyond ecstatic for Matthew! This… was the guy his brother was going to spend the rest of his life with, standing right in front of him. Matthew's soulmate. Alfred… could not help but to think about his own soulmate. Where were they? What did they look like? What was their gender? All of these questions were flooding his mind.

"So, this Mattie? That's what it said on your phone, at least. What's he like? What does he look like?" Gilbert's voice brought Alfred back to his senses. Oh, right. That.

"Matthew is his name, I've just called him Mattie since we were kids. He's really nice. Kinda soft-spoken and quiet. He wears glasses like me, except his are a little different. He has hair about the same colour as mine, brownish-blondish? But his is longer and wavy," Alfred looked up at the ceiling.

"Oh my God, Alfred. We have to take Matthew to eat burgers with us. Does he have class right now?"

Alfred thought for a moment, then replied, "No, most of his classes are online. I'll text him to see if he wants to come!"

 **To: Mattie**

Hey! Do you want to come to that burger place with me?

A reply came almost instantly.

 **Mattie** _now_

Yeah, of course! I'll be there in a few, I'm nearby

Alfred read the text over and back before slipping his phone into his pocket. "He said he'll be there in a few. We should probably go now then."

Gilbert nodded, following Alfred's steps. The building was a bit old, but some modern renovations had taken place in the summer. There were brightly coloured flags hanging on the brick walls, each with a different academic-related word on it, all leading up to a flag with their college mascot plastered onto it. The floors had also been redone, now a translucent silver, rather than the old, musky grey. It was nice to have some new things, but Alfred couldn't deny that he sort of missed the old college. There was something charming about the smell of antique books sitting on a shelf.

He and Gilbert walked in silence, pushing open the doors of the building and stepping out into the cool winter air. There was a thin layer of snow upon the ground, a few footprints in it already. What a shame. Fresh snow on the ground truly was a beautiful thing, Alfred couldn't deny it fulfilled him a little inside.

"There's the place," Gilbert pointed to a small building, a big, plastic burger sitting atop, just a short way across from the university.

The two crossed the street, making sure no cars were to come (that would be tragic - especially to Matthew).

"God, I don't remember what cold like this feels like. It feels like it's burning to me," Gilbert rubbed at his arm a bit. Alfred couldn't help but frown; so badly, he wanted to meet his soulmate, feel the burning temperature of the close proximity they were in. Unfortunately, it's been nine years and he's yet to feel anything other than early spring weather. All of his classmates had already met their soulmates, leaving just Alfred and Matthew together, unbeknownst of who they were destined to spend the rest of their life with. Now, Matthew has found his (presumably), leaving Alfred, once more, alone. He didn't mean to sound depressing, but… he just really wanted to meet his soulmate, to feel that adrenaline rush when lying eyes upon them for the first time. He had heard it from so many people: friends, his parents, and soon enough, Matthew. Alfred didn't think he had enough patience to wait another second; he just wanted to meet his soulmate now.

The two arrived inside a short moment later. The restaurant was not empty or full, but had a few people sitting at the corner tables. The building itself wasn't a luxurious castle, but once one had a taste of those burgers, it made it seem like heaven on earth.

And then they saw him.

Matthew,sitting at a table across the restaurant. He was waving, his blond hair falling down in little curls at his cheeks. His cheeks were a little rosy, an effect of the chilliness of the weather. And suddenly, he stopped. His mouth opened a bit and his eyes were caught - on something. He hadn't blinked in a good ten seconds, still staring at Gilbert. Alfred looked to his side and Gilbert, who was previously acting cool and manly, was now gawking at Matthew, a look of pure adoration in his eyes. Of course, this was only for a few seconds, but the two came back to their senses and came back to reality.

Alfred and Gilbert quickly made their way over to Matthew, taking a seat. Alfred, as always, sat next to Matthew, while Gilbert sat across, still staring at him, but with full consciousness of what he was doing.

"Oh, uh, it's - it's gone. My temperature, I mean. Or, eh, the Soulmate Effect?" Matthew stumbled over his words, still (jeesh!) not breaking eye contact with Gilbert. If Alfred didn't know any better, he'd think the two were having a staring contest…

"Wait, what? It's gone? Just like that?" Alfred put his elbows on the table, the cold marble against his skin making him shiver.

"I guess… I found my soulmate then, ha…" the troubled boy grinned weakly, a bit unsure of what to do about the situation. He was ecstatic - more than that, really - that he found his soulmate, the person he was going to spend the rest of his life with! It was just… shock. Complete and utter surreality.

"I'm… Gilbert Beilschmidt," Gilbert finally spoke, a small smile on his face. Although Alfred had just met Gilbert, he could tell that this was odd behaviour for him. Gilbert had a "cool" persona and sort of gave off that ambience. Well, here… GIlbert was acting like some sort of lead in a cheesy Hallmark film.

Alfred looked at his brother and his newfound friend. Their eyes couldn't leave anywhere but each other, it was disgustingly sweet, the lot of it. But, that was the magic of the Soulmate Effect. It was something no scientist would ever be able to evaluate - and they have definitely tried. Alfred just couldn't wait until it was his time. His mind couldn't help but wander to his soulmate… What were they doing? What did they want to pursue? Hopes, dreams, and aspirations aside, what were they like? Alfred really did hope they were lovely...

 _London, Present Day_

"Are you bloody kidding me? I have to pay that much just for rent? This is ridiculous," a man with scruffy blond hair and average height paced around his living room with a telephone, combing his fingers through his hair, now a disheveled mess.

"No, it's gone up every month by a good £50! This is actual robbery here, you know!" Arthur put his hand on the wall, continuing his aggravating conversation, "Ye- yes, of course I do. Well, I'm trying to - No, it isn't likely, but - Yes… I understand. Thank you for your consideration. Mhm, yes, goodbye."

 _Jesus._ What a horrible day. Not only did he have to pay extra for rent this month, but his landlord was most likely angry at him. Just perfect.

"I need a break, I swear," Arthur muttered underneath his breath, setting his phone down onto the coffee table. Work was exhausting, bills were exhausting, life was just exhausting in general. Couldn't he have a break for just five minutes, not having to worry about anything? But… alas, the world didn't work that way, and instead probably hated him. Brilliant.

He should call someone to hang out, forget about the problems he has for at least two seconds, if he could ever get a break.

Actually.

He should just surf the internet.

The frazzled Brit once more ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to deter the stress engulfing him. Arthur walked over to the computer, sitting down in the chair and moving the mouse a bit. After a few moments, the screen was displaying a nicely photographed scenery of a body of water Arthur couldn't quite place (how strange… he prided himself on his geography abilities).

Arthur swiftly typed in his password and proceeded to wait for the computer to log in. Once it did, he opened up the browser and immediately checked his email. He was expecting an important announcement from his work… They had closed for quite the lot of time due to construction and whatnot and Arthur was expecting an email to tell when they were going to be open once more. No new emails. Of course… But, just to be sure, he refreshed the page, and, much to his delight, there was a new email. And from who else would it be than his work?

Arthur clicked the email, eagerly awaiting the words to be read.

 **ALE Publishing Firm**

 **To:** _ **Miranda R., Joannah D., Arthur K., Doris D., and 23 more**_

Hello. We regret to inform you that construction has been severely delayed to the profuse amount of rain we have received lately. It is not possible to renovate the building in precipitation such as this. We have already made an attempt to do so and in return, part of what the construction men have already completed was put into shambles. We take that it will be another six months for this situation to be cleared up and for the company to be open again once more. We apoligise for the inconvenience, and we will continue to pay during this time of absence. Thank you for your consideration. I hope to see all of you in due time.

Best regards,

George Dover | ALE Publishing Firm

"Are you kidding me…" Arthur groaned, placing the hand that was not on the mouse to his temple. What a pain… He had not worked in a considerable amount of time, 169 days to be exact (Arthur had counted, proof to how incredibly bored he had been) and now, another six months had been added, delaying his work once more.

Most would be ecstatic at something like this to happen, but Arthur, being the person he was, was merely irritated. Of course, he was getting paid during this time off, so that was a plus, but there was also the fact that he was doing nothing with his life, nothing with himself, for that amount of time. Arthur needed a sense of accomplishment to be able to be happy with himself; he was not content with lazing around.

Arthur moved his wandering eyes back to the computer screen, reading the email for a second time, until a large ad popped up and blocked the screen.

"Why are these ads always so big? This is ridiculous, I thought this email didn't have ads. They're always promoting everything nowadays…" the Brit scoured his eyes across the screen, searching for the 'X' button. When he thought he found it, he clicked the screen, only to be taken to another tab. A false X! Those were the worst… If anything it made one _not_ want to buy whatever cheap product they were selling.

The tab, however, caught Arthur's eyes.

 **Find your Happy Place!**

 **America is only a short ocean away!**

The ad had the letters in design of the American flag with scenery from the country in the background. It was poor designing, but Arthur appreciated the notion. The pictures, however, were absolutely exquisite. There were photos of beaches, cities, small towns, the lot. Each and every one taken with such astoundment and simplicity that made it impossible for Arthur to tear his eyes from the screen. They were beautiful pictures, really.

Before Arthur knew it, he was clicking the link provided below, taking him to a different section of the website titled 'Why America?'

 **Why America?**

 _The land of the free, the home of the brave, the United States is the perfect place to take a break and get away from it all. From the beautiful carvings of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota to the glamorous appeal of the Hollywood sign in California, the United States has everything you need._

Arthur furrowed his eyebrows and read on.

 _Starting at just £200, we offer a luxurious stay in one of the best hotels in these following cities: Chicago, New York City, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, New Orleans, and_ _many_ _more! Visit the beautiful rock formations in Utah, have a blast at the casinos in Nevada, visit colonial-era history in Massachusetts, and take a boat ride on the Great Lakes! All for the low price of £200! Offer not valid in the Falkland islands._

Arthur scrolled down, looking through the remainder of the page. There were many links, with the representing photo below each. The first photo was of a beautiful beach, presumably on the west coast, most likely in the south of California, given the colours of the water. It would be very nice to visit California, everything was supposedly better there. The American Dream was still living strong in many countries today; Arthur couldn't help but wonder how it was viewed upon in the States? Were they aware of the American Dream or was it there simply known as Hollywood? Still, when push came to shove, Arthur could not deny the slight curiosity he had of the United States…

It was then when he had made perhaps the most brash decision of his life.

Quickly, thought still in mind, Arthur clicked through the website, locating the 'Purchase' tab at the top. It wasn't a bad offer, really. The tab took him to a travel agency, providing all of the information needed for a trip to the United States.

As he clicked through the website, Arthur thought for a moment. So…. this was it. He was really going, wasn't he? He did have a break… and he _was_ going to be paid. The only problem he could think of was currency, but that dispute could be easily solved. The website had offered a wide range of cities to choose from; it would be preposterous for none of those places to have a currency exchange. But which place should he choose?

Arthur looked at the full list. It was pretty much only the major cities with a few bigger cities in there. Should he visit Los Angeles or would that be too much? Sure, it might appear glamorous, but in hindsight, it was most likely a mess (it was the same as London. Everyone expected London to be this beautifully royal place, but really, there's rubbish everywhere and it's an absolute mess).

New Orleans would be too far south, San Francisco would be too far east, Washington D.C,... What even was Washington D.C.? It was a city, but also a district? American government was too confusing, and frankly, Arthur didn't even think he could begin to understand, so Washington D.C. wasn't an option. New York… New York? Yes… Arthur supposed that could work. New York was a nice city, with much history and things to do. It was surrounded by a body of water, so Arthur could see the ocean as well…

So then it was decided. Arthur would travel to New York city, take a vacation in the United States. After all, a vacation was long overdue… Arthur had spent the past sixth months worrying about work and bills and anything of that sort, really. It was a pain, so saying that he needed a break was one hell of an understatement.

It hadn't taken a considerable amount of time to find a ticket, thanks to the magic of the internet. One thought that couldn't help to escape Arthur's mind, however, was company. Should he take somebody? It would be a tad boring by himself, no one to talk to, no one to accompany him. He had plenty of friends - nevermind what Seamus always said. Of course, they would probably all be busy working. He couldn't invite someone he worked with, he wasn't very fond of any of them, or at least fond enough to spend an ample amount of time with them.

Lili was most likely busy, plus it's not like he could take Lili without taking Vash, the two were incredibly close. Lukas was an option, but unfortunately, he was back in Norway visiting family and was therefore, out of the country. The only option left was Kiku… Was Kiku doing anything? Arthur remembered him saying something about working on his art and him needing a break, which Arthur concluded was much deserved. He had seen Kiku's art; he was a remarkable artist, but, unfortunately, unrecognised at the same time. It was a shame, really. So many young artists these days were having their talents overlooked.

So, it was settled. Arthur would invite Kiku and leave for America in the next week. All that he needed to do now was contact his Japanese friend to ask him the question. Truth be told, Arthur didn't mind paying for both his and Kiku's tickets. Kiku had done plenty for him in the time they had known each other. (Actually, Kiku had painted him a magnificent Japanese art piece, in which Arthur had hung on his wall).

The Brit stared back at his computer screen, contemplating his decision one last time. He had already gone over this about a hundred times in his mind; the pros outweigh the cons. This was a good decision, it was going to be good for him, to get away from it all for a while. And if Kiku did decide to join him, it would be a nice time for the both of them to hang out together and see new things. Arthur knew for a fact that Kiku had always wanted to visit the United States. It could be a Christmas gift - although he knew that his friend didn't celebrate the holiday, Kiku would surely appreciate the thought.

So, with thought in mind, Arthur clicked Kiku's name on his telephone and held it up to his ear. He picked up on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Kiku. How have you been?" Arthur decided to start off the topic with a question, he didn't want to dive right in with such a question as a big trip.

"I have been good, thank you for asking! How have you been?" Kiku's voice was cheerful, clearly delighted that Arthur had called.

"I could be better, a bit stressed lately, you know? Just stuff with work. Apparently I have a sixth month break…"

"Really? Aren't you happy?"

Arthur tilted his head in inquietude, clearly aware that Kiku could not see him. "A bit? But, agh, you know… Bored, I guess? I've been thinking about taking a trip, I've been looking at things."

"Oh, really? Where were you planning on travelling? Out of the continent?"

Arthur nodded (this is why he preferred to speak in person rather than telephone), "the United States! Speaking of… this might come off as odd and I apologise for that, but would you be interested in travelling with me? I do recall you mentioning how you have always wanted to visit; you're a good friend of mine, I wouldn't want to go without you."

Kiku sputtered a bit over the line, then quickly recollected himself to reply. "Well, I would hate to be a burden on you, Arthur. How much money is this going to cost? I would hate to be a bother."

"Oh, no! Of course not, nothing of that sort. Actually, it is fairly cheap. This could be your Christmas gift, if you will. Will you be able to come? You have nothing going on, I presume, given what you told me the previous week."

"I do not… Are you sure about this? Once more, I would hate to cost you anything expensive…"

"Kiku, don't worry! This doesn't cost as much as you would imagine. The real cost would be if _you_ didn't go. Because you are worth more than all of the money in the world..."

There was silence for a few seconds, before Kiku snorted over the line, leading Arthur to burst in a fit of laughter.

Arthur was the first to speak again, "Sorry! The opportunity was there, I had to! But - hey, seriously, let me know if you'd like to go. It's getting late, I'm going to make myself a cup of tea and then go to sleep. Today was absolutely exhausting… God." He put his hand onto his forehead, looking up at the ceiling above him.

Kiku hummed, "...Alright. I'll go. Please get some rest, Arthur. You don't sound very well-rested. Please text me the details in the morning, if you are able. Thank you - much. And good night."

And with no further words, Kiku hung up, leaving Arthur lounging on the sofa - why did he move around so much when speaking on the phone?

Hm, so that was that. As much as Arthur would have liked to accede to Kiku's wishes, he couldn't. He had to look for tickets for the subsequent day. The sooner he and Kiku left, the better. Maybe then… he could finally be free from all of this stress. Or he could only hope.


	3. III

When Arthur awoke the next morning, he found himself halfway off of his bed, his limbs tangled about. The sun was shining through the window, a notably strange sight to wake up to. Usually, London was misty and of average temperature, with absolutely no sun shining in the month of December. How strange… it was almost as if the city was in an attempt to lure him in with nice weather, unsought of his planned travel.

Arthur stirred, a bit restless, in his bed, the blanket splaying over his limbs. His hair was a mess, looking as if it had never touched a hairbrush before. His pyjamas, a _The Beatles_ T-shirt along with some plaid boxer shorts. Slowly, Arthur's eyes fluttered opened and closed, as he let out a groan. What time was it…? Surely it had to been late if the sun was rising. What an exhausting night…

He had been looking for tickets, comparing prices all night long. It was unknown what time he had eventually went to bed; all he could recall was him groggily making his way over to his bed. If the chair had been more comfortable, he would have fallen asleep in that on the spot - but, due to its old age, it felt like he was sitting on stiff wood rather than a cushion, giving him no choice but to sleep in his bed.

Of course, none of these things would be a problem once he was sleeping in his warm hotel room in New York. Arthur couldn't help but grin at the thought. The anticipation for the trip is what encouraged him to get out of bed and make himself breakfast.

Although he wasn't the best cook, he could still make himself a bowl of cereal. How hard was it to mess up a bowl of cereal?

Arthur walked into his kitchen, now facing the collection he had on his fridge, if he could even call it that. Should he go for oatmeal? Definitely not… He wasn't in the mood for oatmeal. What he wanted was…

As the blond drifted into thought, something from the end of the countertop caught his eye. There, beside a bag of crisps, was perhaps the most magnificent thing Arthur had ever laid eyes on. There, on the counter, was a perfectly untouched box of Coco Pops, fresh from the grocer's. Arthur thought he was going to cry from just the sight of it. What had he done for the universe to reward him in such a way?

Just as he suspected, the Coco Pops were new, never before opened. Arthur could only vaguely remember buying these, but he decided not to question it. He would just enjoy these as if they were the last box on earth… After all, he didn't think that they had these in the United States… Did they? Oh well, he would find out soon enough.

He had finished his bowl in no longer than three minutes. It was his favourite cereal, after all - every since he was a child. He remembered on his tenth birthday when his mother had made him a bowl and he had gotten so excited!

At the thought of his tenth birthday, Arthur stopped dead in his tracks. His… tenth birthday. Yes… the day he was supposed to begin the Soulmate Effect. He… was so disappointed that day. For so long he had been waiting, only to not experience it until four years later. At that time, everyone at school had felt it and was talking about it, leaving Arthur alone, the only one of his classmates who hadn't felt it, he was a dupe. Until, of course, that one day when he was fourteen. The fourth of July in the year of 2008, he could recall it as if it were yesterday.

What a day that had been. Arthur remembered laying on his bed, listening to music, when he had felt it. He had immediately rushed down the stairs to his mother and had broken the news to her. What had she said again…?

Yes, of course. He remembered now.

His soulmate was somewhere in the Americas, eastern Canada or United States, she had said?

"Oh my God," Arthur spoke barely above a whisper, astonishment in his eyes.

His… his soulmate was in the Americas. In the _east_ of all places. How had he been so stupid to forget?

When he was fourteen… it was all he could focus on. When he got back to school, he had told everyone - the students, teachers, even a bunny outside (Arthur had taken quite the liking to bunnies in his childhood). Of course, he had been expecting positive feedback, but what his fellow classmates had told him in return had most definitely not been positive. They laughed and called him names, made fun of him for being four years late; they turned Arthur's joy into sadness. Since then, Arthur recollected, he had wanted nothing to do with his soulmate or the Soulmate Effect. Who was the world to tell him who to be with? Love, he had come to the conclusion, was a waste of time and effort. How foolish to think that he could ever be happy.

Thinking about that day made Arthur sad. Kids were stupid then, they did anything to get a rise out of people. It was only their instinct to be mean. Maybe if Arthur had some friends then he would have been mean as well? He didn't know, but his past was incorrigible, nothing could change it and he had accepted that fact long ago. He was over what those kids had said to him. Still, he didn't think of the Soulmate Effect until… well, this moment, really. He had made himself forget about it, telling himself it wasn't worth his time.

If he had told himself ten years ago of his travels now, fourteen-year-old Arthur would've gotten so excited. Why wasn't this Arthur excited? Maybe the spark had just burnt out, he wasn't a child anymore. He was a grown man, an adult. He paid bills and had a job… He needn't get excited about things such as this. His mother had always told him to behave properly and to grow up, and so he did. Getting excited over such things would be incongruous of him.

It wasn't until Arthur had felt an abrupt buzzing in his pocket when he realised he had been lost in thought. He quickly fumbled to get his phone out before finally getting a good grip and pressing the home button.

 **Kiku** _now_

I hope you had a good sleep. Did you find anymore information on the trip?

Oh, right. Kiku. He was getting too distracted this morning…

Arthur texted back almost immediately. Kiku had probably been waiting all morning.

 **To: Kiku**

Yes ! I have. We're leaving today, if that's okay? I hate for it to be so sudden, but… I'm really excited !

 **From: Kiku**

I am, too. Don't worry about that. Wktk

 **To: Kiku**

Thank you ! :) Would you like to come over, now? Please make sure you have everything packed, I would hate for you to leave something.

 **From: Kiku**

No, I had already began packing last night. I couldn't help it. But yes, I will be over as soon as I can. And thank you, again. I will see you in a few minutes.

 **To: Kiku**

I'll be looking forward to it!

Arthur slid his phone into his pocket, sighing. He… had actually not started packing yet. Sometimes procrastination could be a real problem! Everyone dealt with it at one point. It just so happened that Arthur procrastinated every once in a while with packing…

Now what had he needed again? His clothes were a given, along with his toothbrush and everyday items. New York didn't require sunscreen or anything of that sort. According to the website Arthur had visited the day previous, New York tended to be quite rainy during this time of year, which, surprisingly, didn't seem to differ with London. It was about the same temperature, despite being an ocean apart. So, Arthur would suit to pack what he would normally wear around the city.

At this point the Brit was already in his bedroom, rummaging through his drawers for clothes. To say he was excited was a bit of an understatement. Going to a new country was always exciting. When he was a child, his family had gone on many trips to many different countries, the furthest being Vienna, Austria. Of course, none of them being as far as to go to North America! A well deserved break, this was.

Packing had not taken as long as Arthur had initially thought. Really, it was just the basics. The basics being some clothes, an extra pair of shoes, toothbrush and toothpaste, and a hairbrush - just everyday items.

Arthur, being in the spot where he was, didn't have many things. He had only moved out a year ago, although it felt much longer… Having to pay for rent, groceries, and other daily necessities did drain the money out of him; Arthur barely had enough money to buy things for himself. That's why this trip was so important, so he could finally have a break. That's all he wanted, to relax and finally live the happy life he had craved so badly when he was a teenager.

There was a knock at the door, breaking Arthur once more from his thoughts. That would most likely be Kiku.

When Arthur walked downstairs and opened the door, his suspicions were proven correct. There was Kiku, standing awkwardly, a fairly small luggage at his side.

"Hello, Arthur. May I come in?"

"Yes, of course. You don't need to ask, you know you're always welcome in my home," Arthur stepped out of the way for Kiku to walk in, following him into the living room.

"Thank you. Have you finished packing?"

"Uhh… I believe so. I'm not exactly sure if I have everything, but that's most likely just paranoia speaking. I'm sure it's fine," Arthur waved his hand dismissively, reassuring himself of his wariness.

Kiku nodded once, taking a seat on the couch and folding his hands in his lap.

"Would you like something to eat? I can't promise my cooking skills are the greatest, but I can at least offer you a quick meal."

"No thank you, that's not necessary. I ate before I left," Kiku said quickly.

Arthur nodded, sitting next to his friend. "We can leave whenever you'd like to, the airport is only a short ways away and it doesn't take off until a couple of hours."

"It is not for me, you can decide; it is your trip. Maybe you should check if you have everything? I know I do, I triple-checked before I left my home."

"Hmm… Yes, I suppose. I don't have much to pack, but I can check again just to pass time," Arthur stood up, then turned to Kiku, "the television remote is beside you, if you'd like to watch something you can, but I can't promise there will be anything good on."

Kiku smiled, "thank you. I'll try to find something while you check your packing."

Arthur gave his friend a thumbs-up and walked up the stairs, nearly falling at the fourth step. Embarrassed , Arthur quickly looked behind him, only to find Kiku switching through the channels on the television.

When he reached upstairs, Arthur went straight to his suitcase, opening it up and thinking through for a bit. He had clothes, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a pair of shoes, and his laptop. Was that really it, did he really own that little things? Of course, he couldn't bring bottles of things due to airport security… but it's not like he was going to bring sunscreen or something _in the winter_. Wasn't the east coast of the United States experiencing a blizzard? Would that somehow affect his travels? Most likely not, otherwise the flights would have been delayed. Last time Arthur checked, everything was still running smoothly. And he had checked _a lot_. He wanted nothing to mess with his plans, especially not something as small as the weather outside.

After another hour, Arthur had checked about every space in his bedroom, finding nothing else to pack, and eventually dragging his suitcase, as well as himself, down the stairs, being extra careful of that pesky fourth step he always seemed to trip over.

When Arthur made it down the stairs, Kiku shut off the television and walked over to him. "Are you finished, did you find anything else to pack?"

Arthur sighed, "Unsurprisingly, no. Like I said before, I don't have many things to pack, but I'm sure with the money that I've saved up, I'll be able to buy plenty of things in New York. We can be proper tourists!"

Kiku's mouth tilted into a smile, a rare occurrence,"Yes, I'll be looking forward to it. Should we plan it on the plane ride there? I have a notebook and a pen when needed."

"Yes, that would be nice. Great idea. Should we leave now, then?" Arthur glanced at the watch on his wrist. They had about an hour until the airplane took off, and as he said before, the airport was only a few minutes drive away.

"I feel it best if we do. It is better to be earlier than anything."

"Hmm… That is true. C'mon then, are you ready?"

Kiku pulled on his winter jumper, which was lying on the couch, and grabbed hold of his suitcase.

"Can you shut off the lights while I put this inside of your car? I can take yours as well," Arthur transferred his suitcase to his left hand, and grabbed Kiku's with his right.

"Thank you, that would be very kind. Is there anything else you would like done?"

"Uh… Not that I know of. Thank you, I'll go put these in the car now," Arthur turned around, opening the door, then quickly turned toward Kiku again, "Oh! Right, there is something else, if you could. Could you lock the door on your way out, and bring those keys along with you?" He pointed to a pair of keys attached to a _Doctor Who_ lanyard sitting atop the table.

Kiku nodded, walking toward the table, while Arthur made his way over to the door, lugging the suitcases after him and into the boot of Kiku's car. Due to the small size in both suitcases, they were able to easily fit, with room to spare.

All Arthur had to do now was wait in the passenger's seat for Kiku, and then they were off to the airport. As Arthur opened the door to the car and sat in the passenger's seat, he noticed Kiku open the door to his house, locking it on his way out. Soon enough, they were both in the car and ready to leave, with plenty of time to spare.

"Would it be childish to say that I'm excited?" Kiku said, starting the car.

Arthur shook his head, "No, definitely not. I'm excited too, actually. I've never gone that far west before… The furthest I've been is Ireland, really. So it's nice to go to new places."

"I know what you mean. To be honest, I've never been further west than Manchester. I'm very excited to go see the American culture."

"Oh, yeah. Me, too."

They spent the rest of the car ride discussing their plans for the United States, as well as their previous travels and what they had done there. When the two had finally arrived at the airport, Kiku parked his car in the designated area, and walked along with Arthur, dragging the suitcases behind them, to the entrance.

After going through procedures (it felt like an eternity until they were done), the two boarded the plane and found their seats. They spoke for a bit, Kiku taking out his notebook and pen, and planned the trip. They were about halfway across the Atlantic Ocean when they were about done. After all, the United States was a big country, and New York City was one of the biggest in the country. There would be a lot to do. Arthur wasn't even sure how long they would be staying there.

They had already decided to visit the Statue of Liberty, that was a given. They would go to Central Park as well, maybe even grab a bite to eat of the oh-so famous New York hot dog. Although Arthur wasn't a big fan of hot dogs, Kiku was eager to try new food from new places, taking in as much of the culture as he possibly could. Kiku was definitely a proper tourist, something Arthur knew he could never be. He didn't want to be a bother, get in people's ways. Of course, most people would probably understand, but he still cared _a little_ about what people thought of him, a trait he wished would disappear someday…

"Hey, Kiku, where are w-" Arthur stopped abruptly, gasping. Suddenly… it was warmer, much warmer. It was as if the temperature had went up a whole… 20 degrees. Was this… the Soulmate Effect?

"What's wrong?" Kiku sat up in his seat, looking at Arthur with concerned eyes.

"Can I ask you a question?" Arthur asked, disbelief in his voice. Kiku nodded, no further words spoken.

"What can you tell me about the Soulmate Effect? We've… never talked about it. I mean, I've - I've never talked about it to you and you've never talked about it to me. It's a big part of society, and I, I just needed to ask you your outlook and experience on it."

Kiku was silent for a moment. Arthur was almost afraid it was a bad decision asking Kiku - was it too forward? Finally, Kiku took a deep breath. "I don't have a soulmate."

Arthur was taken aback by the statement. What did he mean he didn't have a soulmate? That… was impossible - wasn't it?

"At least I don't anymore. I came to England because… that is where my doctor told me my soulmate would be. I was excited, but suddenly, when I arrived, before I even got the chance to meet them, it was gone. I looked around to see if I had met them, to see if there was anyone staring back at me, but there was no one, only the busy rush of a Monday morning." Kiku paused again, choosing his next words carefully. "I spoke with a doctor about it, the best I was able. I didn't know much of the English language at the time, not as much as I know now. But when I spoke with her, she, uh, told me that my soulmate was… no longer alive."

Arthur knew what was coming, but just hearing the words leave Kiku's mouth left him completely and utterly heartbroken. Kiku wasn't very open with his emotions, he was such a reserved person… Arthur had no idea that he had experienced something like _this_. He… couldn't even imagine it, travelling so far to see someone, only to find out that they had… died.

"I apologise if I let the mood in the air down, I felt it rude not to answer," Kiku sat awkwardly in his seat, avoiding eye contact.

Arthur nodded, avoiding eye contact as well. He hadn't meant to react in such a way… but what could one say in such a situation? He felt awful for making Kiku so uncomfortable…

"Excuse me, I have to use the restroom. Forgive me," Kiku got up from his seat, scooting past Arthur and down the aisle.

As Arthur watched his Japanese friend walk down to the aisle where the toilet was located, he couldn't help but think about what he had said.

It almost made Arthur feel… greedy. Here he was, with a soulmate in _North America_ of all places. And he didn't care at all. There were people all around the world, travelling thousands of kilometres, just to meet one single person, only to… never meet them at all. They had to endure all of that excitement - and for what? Just for their dreams to be crushed, as if they were nothing more than a nuisance. Here Arthur was, disregarding the fact that he even had a soulmate, that he wasn't experiencing the Soulmate Effect firsthand, as so many who have never experienced it had dreamed. He was being too selfish… ugh.

He spent the remainder of Kiku's time of absence thinking. Whenever his brain attempted to move onto another thing, he kept on going back to the Soulmate Effect. Soon enough, it passed on from Kiku's experience to his own. As much as he attempted to push it away, it was always there, it always had been, all these years. And he needed to face that fact, and acknowledge that the Soulmate Effect was something he was experiencing at this very moment, that it was something that just happened and couldn't be controlled.

He wasn't fourteen anymore, it was ridiculous to still be acting this way. Still… He couldn't blame himself. Given his personality and what had happened at that age, it was only reasonable…

 _No. You're being ridiculous, Arthur. Just belt up and deal with it. You're acting as a child would._

 _You know what's ridiculous? The fact that you're arguing with yourself inside your head. God, you're so stupid. Just accept the Soulmate Effect and enjoy the trip. You needed a break, and you're going to get it. Just relax._

Arthur took a deep breath, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes. He was going to enjoy this trip, even if it killed him.

When he awoke, it was nighttime. How much time had passed…? Kiku was back, sleeping soundly in the seat at his side. His head was resting on a neck pillow - had that even been there before? - and small breaths were coming from his mouth. Arthur turned his head toward the window. It was absolutely beautiful, to say the least. The night sky was illuminating off of the clouds, giving a translucent glow that Arthur couldn't seem to take his eyes off of.

Where were they…? Arthur couldn't even see the ground, so it was impossible to tell if they were still above ocean or not. Given the increase in temperature Arthur had experienced over the flight, they were definitely getting closer. He could ask Kiku how hot it would get when they were in the same country, or continent (Arthur mustn't come to conclusions, he wasn't even sure if his soulmate was in the United States or Canada), but, well, he wanted to avoid bringing up the Soulmate Effect with him. Even if it didn't bother him, Arthur didn't want to mention it.

It was strange. He was acting like a child again… Why was he getting so excited to meet his soulmate after so long of just ignoring it? He had made himself forget it, and for so long it was like it didn't even exist. Until now, when it was finally taking place, he was finally feeling a change of temperature and it made him _excited_. He couldn't help it; it was as if something inside of him wanted this, more than anything in the world.

Arthur felt his eyes flutter shut again. He was still tired… even after that long nap. Why was he so tired?

Oh, right. He had stayed up practically all night researching the needed information for this trip, so it was his fault, really.

He yawned, vision blurring for a short moment, before shutting his eyes in an attempt to return to his peaceful sleep. There were a few other people in his sight that he could see were still awake, the majority of whom were on an electronic device of some sort, the bright lights reflecting onto their faces.

Soon enough, Arthur fell asleep once more, not waking until morning, or more specifically, the landing.

"We will now be landing at JFK airport in New York City in thirty seconds."

Arthur's head bolted up at the sudden noise, looking around him at the others on the plane, then finally at Kiku beside him, who was looking out the window.

The plane was coming to a landing. Arthur looked out the window beside Kiku, watching the clouds leave their view and a large landing space for the airplane appear. There were many people on the ground, and from the height they were at they looked like tiny ants! Arthur couldn't help but stare. It had been so long since he had gone on a trip… maybe ten years. He forgot how exciting it could be!

"It's cool, isn't it?" Arthur asked.

Kiku looked beside him, then back out the window, nodding.

The plane landed not long after, the people around them finally beginning to speak with each other. Despite carrying many children, the plane actually stayed at an appropriate volume the entire eight-hour ride there, providing a very peaceful ride to Kiku and Arthur.

As expected, the post-airplane-ride rush came quickly, practically shoving the two out of the plane and over the way to get their luggage.

As soon as Arthur stepped out of the plane and onto the ground, he felt as if his feet, soon his whole body, were on fire. This was nothing like the change in temperature he felt on the plane, this was… different. It was as if this was what he was _destined_ to do, where he was _destined_ to be. It was a feeling Arthur couldn't quite pinpoint.

He was in the United States. What was it his mother had said? Ah… yes.

As soon as he stepped foot in North America, he would be able to tell where his soulmate was.

That meant… that his soulmate was in the United States. _He_ was in the United States. He… He was this close to his soulmate, it almost seemed like a vision, it was so surreal.

But why should he care so much? He hadn't before… not even earlier that morning when he was back home. Was this one of the ways of the Soulmate Effect? He was feeling this longing he wasn't before, this longing to _meet_ his soulmate, finally… meet the person he was destined to be with.

Even after twenty-three years, the concept felt strange. From the very day, the very second you were born, there is one other person in the world, one in literally billions, that you are destined to be with. Not even scientists could decipher the reason why, no one could. It was so strange… And to think that _Arthur_ had one. All of his life he had deemed himself unlikable, but… he knew that wasn't true. There was someone out there who was destined to be with him, destined to accept him and love him for the person he was. Why was the concept so difficult for Arthur to grasp? He almost couldn't believe it, he felt as if his entire life up to this moment was fiction, that he would suddenly wake up, having dreamt the entire ordeal.

Of course, in the entire country, there were fifty states. Arthur was only in one, in New York of all places. What were the chances of his soulmate being in the same state as him? It was one in fifty. So, thought in mind, the only thing he could do at the moment was go through airport procedures and find the hotel they were staying at. And then, at last, he could sleep in a warm bed once more, rather than a stuffy seat on the airplane.

Arthur needed to focus on one thing at a time, and finally enjoy his long-deserved break, just as he told himself earlier that day. And he would make sure to achieve this.


	4. IV

_Washington D.C._

"But… like… what if my soulmate was in Antarctica," Alfred spoke, complete seriousness in his voice.

"Alfred, I'm sure your soulmate's not in Antarctica," Matthew replied.

Alfred shook his head, turning around in his bed, no longer facing the wall and now facing his brother. "You don't know that! What if my soulmate is a penguin?"

"I'm fairly certain that your soulmate is _not_ a penguin."

Alfred shook his head, although Matthew was now fixing his hair in the mirror and could not see him. "You don't know that!" The nineteen-year-old paused for a moment, then continued. "But if I like, go to Antarctica to see my soulmate, would it be super-hot there?"

"Uh, yeah. Probably, given that your soulmate would be a penguin," Matthew was now turned around, a cheeky grin on his face.

"And then there will be all these scientists there! And I'll be there, rockin' a tank top and shorts while they're freezing their butts off."

"Until you catch eyes with your soulmate and you freeze to death."

"That won't happen because unli-" Suddenly, Alfred turned once more, his foot catching on the end of the bed. When he tried getting it out, he had apparently forgotten about his proximity to the side and hit the ground with a thud.

Matthew quickly looked over, stifling a laugh. "You alright there?"

"Shut up," Alfred reached up to get his foot out of the little metal bars of the bedpost, only to find that he was too far onto the ground to reach. Seriously, who's idea was it to make such high beds? A murderer, surely.

Matthew got up from his seat and walked over to Alfred, "Need some help?"

"Yeah…" Alfred fell back from trying to reach his foot and let his arms splay out, his breath heaving.

Matthew bent down and took Alfred's foot out of the bed, a smile on his face. "I can't believe you literally got your foot stuck in there."

Alfred, now free, stood up quickly, placing his hands on his hips. "Oh, really? Like that time where you hit your head on the mirror while trying to look cool?"

Matthew about gasped when Alfred said that. "N-No I didn't!"

"Mmmmhm, you did. I wasn't sleeping, you know." Alfred smirked, raising his eyebrows in Matthew's direction.

Matthew's cheeks turned a tinted red, and he quickly looked down. Okay, now he would _make sure_ that no one else was in the room when he did stuff like that.

Alfred, upon seeing his brother's reaction, laughed loudly. "Hey, where are you going anyway? You were fixing your hair, do you have somewhere to go?"

"Yep, Gilbert and I are going out."

"Oooo, on a date?" Alfred gave Matthew a suggestive look, causing Matthew to shake his head at him, a faint smile on his face.

"If you want to call laser tag a date, then go ahead."

Alfred gasped, nearly falling to the ground again, "You're going laser tagging?! No fair, I wanna go."

"You know, you can if you want to. It's not _really_ a date. I was just joking."

"Really?! I can go? No way!"

Matthew tucked a loose curl behind his ear, nodding. "Just make sure you're ready. I'm going to grab a bite to eat in the lounge. Do you want anything?"

"Uh, can you get me a sub?"

Matthew nodded once more, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Honestly, to say Alfred was surprised Matthew was inviting him to go hang out with him and Gilbert was an understatement. Ever since that day back in January where the two had met, they had been absolutely inseparable. For a month straight, Matthew would go literally _everywhere_ with Gilbert. He slept over at his dorm quite a bit, leaving Alfred alone in theirs.

Alfred looked down. He was already dressed, having went to class earlier that day. All he needed to do was put some shoes and socks on. Would what he was wearing suffice for such an occasion? He doubted anyone would care about his stained jumper, but, well, he _was_ going out somewhere, he might as well dress not like a slob…

Alfred hummed, looking through his dresser drawer for a shirt to wear. If he was going laser tagging, the vest would be covering it anyway, so there was no need to care _too_ much.

Finally, Alfred decided to go with a t-shirt he had received when he went to a science museum in Chicago for his birthday the previous year. It was a plain-black t-shirt sporting the logo of the museum alongside some extravagant letters. His pants were fine, just regular old jeans. As for his shoes, he better just grab a pair of socks and put on some shoes. His Adidas would definitely do, those were really nice. He had picked those up at a Target on sale for $25, an incredible price, considering the brand.

Once dressed, Alfred slipped the phone from his back pocket and checked the percent. It was eighty-three percent; that would definitely last him.

Phone in hand, Alfred made sure to close the door, leaving the dorm, and made his way downstairs to the eating area. Well, the university had nicknamed it "the lounge", but really, all people really did in there was eat, so to Alfred, it was the eating area.

There weren't many people in the lounge, due to it being closer to the night rather than the afternoon. However, it smelt absolutely delicious. The different sorts of aromas in the air were making Alfred more and more hungry…

Was it getting hot? He felt as if it was getting hot. How… how strange. Maybe he was going to pass out? That was a possible explanation, the only other one being-

Alfred's eyes widened as the temperature increased. Quickly, he searched around the eating area for his brother, and once he caught sight of him, he yelled out, "Mattie!"

Matthew turned around right away, only to be tackled by his brother, who, as it seemed, had a big smile plastered onto his face.

"Eh, do you mind, Al? Why are we on the ground?" Matthew was now laying on the floor, sandwich still in hand, Alfred on top of him.

"It's warm!"

Matthew was perplexed for a short moment. Warm? What did he-?

"It's warm? Like, warm?" Matthew ignored Alfred's weight on him and blinked twice. Did he hear him correctly?

"Yeah, I mean, warmer than it has been for nine years!" Alfred was staring his brother in the face, stars in his eyes.

Matthew smiled, then shifted his weight a bit, "Can you get off me so we can talk without your knee lodged in my side?"

Alfred looked down to find that his knee _was_ lodged into his brother's side. "Oh, oops. Sorry." Hopping (quite literally) back up, he brushed any dirt that may happened to be on his shirt off.

Matthew followed suit before looking up at Alfred, the corners of his lips rising.

"I know!" Alfred's expression was as bright as that of a billion stars. This was probably the happiest Matthew had seen him in weeks…He hadn't wanted to mention it, but ever since Matthew had found his soulmate before Alfred, Alfred had seemed… down. He wasn't ecstatic as he usually was, but was, nevertheless, elated that Matthew had found his. Alfred was very good at hiding his true feelings - to other people. Due to the two being so close, Matthew had developed a particular skill in reading Alfred's emotions. His sadness seemed to have gone away shortly after, but Matthew still couldn't help but feel bad for Alfred. It was nice to see him so happy about this now.

Ever since the two were children, Alfred was always talking about his soulmate, where they were, what they looked like, and even their preference of cats or dogs. He was _always_ talking about them, and to this day, he would continue to bring up the Soulmate Effect at the most random of times. Matthew couldn't deny the joy he had inside of him for Alfred. After what felt like an eternity, he was finally going to meet his soulmate. He didn't know when or where, but _he was going to meet him_.

Maybe Matthew could help Alfred find his. After all, if it hadn't been for Alfred and Gilbert meeting, who knows how long it would have taken Matthew to find Gilbert? After… so long, the high temperature would become unbearable, painful even. That is why doctors put so much emphasis on finding your soulmate. If one was in proximity of their soulmate, it would be incredibly uncomfortable to stay there without searching. To Matthew, it was more like a burning passion (pun intended) to search. Just the fact that you were _that_ close to your soulmate would be enough to drop what you're doing and find them.

Suddenly, Matthew pulled Alfred into a hug, surprising the both of them. Alfred's eyes widened at first, clearly taken aback by his brother's action, only to melt into the hug and squeeze tightly. They needn't say any words, for they were already unspoken in the air, the past nine years fluttering amongst them.

"I'm so happy for you, seriously," Matthew let go softly.

Alfred, who was apparently crying, wiped a stray tear from his eye. "I mean, thanks… But you don't need to be so happy."

"It's fine, Al! Seriously, I need to be happy for you; you've been wanting this for so long and you were happy for me when I found Gilbert. I'm only returning the favour…" Matthew's voice was quiet, but sincere. Before Alfred could input, he continued. "How warm is it?"

"I don't know… Not hot, but a little warmer than the temperature from before."

"Ah," Matthew nodded, "Then it's going to be a while until they arrive. The doctor said that they live in Europe, so they're definitely coming here on plane, probably on a plane right now."

Alfred was perplexed, but decided not to say anything. The Soulmate Effect was so confusing to him. Of course, it would make sense to Matthew, he was the one who had already experienced it, and recently, of all things.

Just as Matthew was about to add something else, his phone buzzed from his pocket.

"Sh- Gilbert! I forgot, gosh," Matthew fumbled for his phone in his pocket before pulling it out and clicking "answer".

"Hey, birdie, are you close to my dorm?" Gilbert asked.

Matthew checked the time. Not so long had passed, only about ten minutes or so. Still, they really ought to get to Gilbert's if they didn't want to be late.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Alfred and I are close, just in the lounge right now. We were just running a little late due to some sudden news…"

"What news?"

"Just a new person coming into Alfred's life…" Matthew smiled over the phone. Gilbert was going to be so excited when he found out.

"Oh my god, Alfred's pregnant." Gilbert spoke the words with composure, although there was humour hidden behind his voice.

Matthew couldn't help but stifle a laugh at Gilbert's comment. "Not quite. I'll tell you when we get there."

"Alright. Goodbye, I love you," Gilbert said.

"I love you, too," Matthew replied, lips curling into a small smile. He would never get tired of saying that. "Bye."

Gilbert returned the goodbye and hung up the phone.

Matthew turned to Alfred, "We should get going to Gilbert's."

Alfred nodded, beginning to walk with his brother to Gilbert's dorm. "Yeah, but I don't think I'll even be focusing on anything else. I'm so excited."

The elder of the two smiled. It was nice seeing Alfred so happy. After all, he did deserve it after waiting so long. He just hoped that his soulmate would be nice.

The two arrived at Gilbert's dorm in a short amount of time. Gilbert was already standing outside of the door, playing a game on his phone. When Matthew and Alfred walked up to him, he greeted Matthew with a hug and Alfred with a fist bump.

"Hey! You ready to go? It's kinda snowy out, but I can get past it," Gilbert spoke, raising his fist in the air triumphantly, making Matthew laugh.

Most of the things Gilbert did was just to see Matthew smile. Alfred, wholeheartedly, thought it was incredibly sweet. Those two really were a match made in heaven… It was just proof of how magical the Soulmate Effect really was. Alfred truly was excited for the upcoming week. He didn't know when he would meet his soulmate… but he just hoped it was soon. After seeing how happy Matthew and Gilbert were… Alfred didn't think he could wait; he wanted the happiness that they had.

"Oh!" Gilbert turned toward Alfred, who was smiling brightly, hands behind his back. "I heard you found your soulmate."

Alfred blushed, "Well, not yet… I only know that they're coming. Matt said that they're probably on a plane from Europe right now."

Gilbert's eyes widened, "Europe? I never knew your soulmate is from Europe. Where from?"

"I don't know. The doctor said it's hard to tell. I mean, they're not in eastern Europe, that's all I know."

"What if they're from Germany!? Than I could speak German with them! Oh, and we could all go on dates, it'll be like a double date!" Gilbert's voice expedited with every word.

"Sorry, dude. I don't think they're from Germany. I don't… I don't know where they're from, but something is telling me it's west. Like, really west."

"Like Iceland?" Matthew watched with curiosity.

"No, that's a whole 'nother timezone. I think it's like four hours ahead, cos the UK is five hours, and the rest of western Europe is six. Iceland's all alone, I don't think it would have the same timezone as the UK or Spain or something."

Matthew looked down toward his feet, "Poor Iceland."

Gilbert stepped over beside Matthew, "I've been there once. It's really nice. It actually has the same timezone as the UK."

"I want to travel… I want to go somewhere like Asia, that'd be really cool. Or Japan! They have a really cool culture."

Both Matthew and Gilbert nodded at this. They spent more than a few minutes on the topic, sharing their favourite countries and cultures. That is, until the time was brought to Matthew's attention.

"Laser tagging! Agh, I keep on forgetting," Matthew groaned, looking at the time on his phone. Gilbert glanced at the phone and shrugged, his expression blank.

"It'll close before the time we get there, it's no big deal. Do you guys just want to watch a movie at my dorm?"

Alfred tried not to seem upset and forced a smile. He was really looking forward to laser tagging with the two of them. If he joined them in the movie, they would just eventually get so close it would be like Alfred wasn't even there. It had been like this ever since they met. Alfred didn't want to get upset, but he barely got to spend any genuine time with Matthew, or Gilbert, for that matter. He always felt like a third wheel around them, but felt it selfish to say something, so he kept it to himself.

"No, I'm good. I think I'll just go back to the dorm and finish this sandwich. I think I have some soda there, you guys enjoy yourselves," Alfred smiled.

Matthew frowned, eyes filled with genuine concern, "You sure?"

 _No._

"Yes." Alfred spoke, fists clenching at his sides. He would not interfere in Matthew and Gilbert's relationship, the two probably wanted time alone, but felt bad for leaving Alfred alone. He didn't want to be a pest…

"Okay! C'mon, Matthew, I just bought that movie that just came out," Gilbert, as usual, was oblivious to Alfred's fake smile. Quickly, Gilbert pulled Matthew into his room, leaving Alfred, once again, alone. With no one else to talk to, Alfred began making his way back to his dorm.

Why was he getting so beat up about this? Wasn't he happy not even twenty minutes ago? Alfred took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He mustn't be sad at something like this. Gilbert and Matthew were soulmates, having met not even a year ago. It was very understandable. After all, in less than a week, he would be meeting his.

At the thought of his soulmate, Alfred's breath hitched. It was unbelievable, it felt something like a dream, like it wasn't real. All his life he had been waiting for this, and now, it was happening. He tried to imagine what it would be like meeting his soulmate. What gender were they, what colour hair did they have, how tall were they? Alfred did hope that they were shorter than him… he found short people very cute. All of these questions had been flooding his mind for as long as he could remember, and one day, they would all be answered.

It was odd. You wait so long for just one moment, a moment that is going to pass in the blink of an eye. The anticipation building up to it is exhilarating, like some sort of adrenaline. But when it's all over, what is it for? The wait built it up to a tower, only for it to come crashing down the following day, as if it didn't even exist. Time was a strange concept that Alfred couldn't even think to grasp. All he knew was that in less than a week, _he would meet his soulmate._ He couldn't stop repeating that.

Matthew had explained to him a few times before, the post-Soulmate Effect effect. He had described it as a longing, no, a craving to be with your soulmate. It was only reasonable. After so long of waiting, all one would want to do is spend time with their soulmate. It only lasted a few months, and then the relationship goes on as it normally would, full of love and acceptance and everything a good relationship should have.

There were so many things Alfred didn't understand. Yet, all of his questions would be answered in one week. Time really was confusing.

Before Alfred knew it, he was back at his dorm. He should rest… it had been an exhausting day, especially with him experiencing _The Soulmate Effect_. Gosh… If he had gone to yesterday-Alfred and told him that he would experience the Soulmate Effect the next day, he wouldn't have believed him. It was all too surreal.

Wearily, Alfred opened the door to the dorm and made his way over to the fridge, placing the sandwich inside. He was too tired to eat, he should just go to bed. Plus… when he awoke, who knows how different the temperature would be? Maybe his soulmate would even be in the United States by then. The thought was exciting to Alfred, he felt like a child waiting for Santa to come. Still… it was a great possibility. He should get some sleep, staying up all night thinking wasn't going to do him any good. It would only make the anticipation unbearable.

Alfred had awoken later not too far along later. It must have been about three in the morning. It wasn't his excitement or a noise that had awoke him, but the sudden raise in temperature. Compared to what it was before, it was _burning._

The feeling was indescribable. He felt this intractable longing to meet his soulmate, and somehow this feeling… this feeling like he was _supposed_ to be here, in his bed in this Washington D.C. dorm room at three in the morning.

Alfred looked over at Matthew's bed. It was empty, meaning that he must've (once again) slept over at Gilbert's.

Alfred kicked his covers off of him, as if that would change the temperature he was feeling. It was so hot! It wasn't burning hot, but hot enough that Alfred knew. There was no denying it; his soulmate was in the United States.


	5. V

_New York City_

"It's burning hot, I'm trying to fan myself, but it's still so damn hot," Arthur paced across the hotel room, waving his hands fervidly.

They had arrived in the hotel room the night previous and had had a good night's rest (a well-deserved rest, mind). It wasn't very early in the morning, about nine or so, almost ten. Kiku was looking out the window at the busy city below, while Arthur was pacing around the room, continuously fanning himself.

"Arthur, why don't you sit down and watch the city with me? Despite the noise, it is very calming," Kiku turned his body slightly to look at Arthur.

Arthur stopped for a moment, combing his fingers through his hair. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, he walked over to the window and took a seat next to Kiku.

"I can't take this heat," Arthur sighed, pulling at the collar on his shirt.

"It will get better. I take that you're not much of a heat person?"

Arthur shook his head, "No, definitely not. I hated it when I was younger, and I hate it now."

Kiku hummed, "It will get better, though. Very soon. Focus on that rather than the uncomfort."

Arthur looked at Kiku, taken aback by his sudden thoughtfulness. "Thank you, I appreciate it. Honestly, if I go back to London I won't have to feel this, yeah?"

Kiku's lips tilted up at Arthur's attempt of a joke. "But then you wouldn't meet your soulmate."

Arthur let out a breath, "Yeah, but… agh. I don't know. It's weird. I didn't have any interest in it before, but suddenly, on the plane ride here, it's like something inside me can't wait. Is that part of the Soulmate Effect?"

Arthur did say that he wouldn't speak of the Soulmate Effect with Kiku, but he briefly decided against it. If Kiku said it was okay, it was okay. He wasn't one to get beat up over emotions, so if needed, Arthur would ask him questions regarding the topic and Kiku would answer, undisturbed.

Kiku raised his eyebrows in interest at Arthur's question. "That's not an effect."

"Huh, what do you mean?" Arthur stood up by the bed, "Why else am I feeling this way?"

Kiku turned his head away, hiding a smile. "If you don't realise it now, you never will."

Arthur furrowed his eyebrows. Kiku was very peculiar… He could never decipher his words; it was as if they were all in a foreign language. As much as he would have liked to question it, he knew Kiku would simply push it away and move onto another topic. Notion in mind, Arthur decided to change the topic before Kiku could.

"This hotel room is… kind of ugly," Arthur spoke the words with reluctance, moving his finger along the dusty bedpost.

Kiku nodded, standing up from the floor, "It is. It would cost a year's salary to stay in a fancy hotel in New York City."

Arthur hummed. It would. Why had he chosen New York City again…? It wasn't the cleanest or nicest city; it was incredibly busy. However, the history behind it and the monuments were something Arthur had only dreamed of seeing. Despite popular belief, he did like to get out and see a bit of the world. The ocean was beautiful, he had remembered that being one of the key factors that had brought him to this country.

"I'd rather not stay in this stuffy room the entire day; would you like to go grab a bite to eat and then go sightsee? We are in New York City, after all," Arthur walked over to the window, watching the hustling traffic below. The ground was covered in a thick plate of snow, the salt on the street causing the once-glistening-white of the snow to turn a murky grey. It was a sight Arthur didn't see often, as it never snowed nearly this much back in England. It wasn't as dazzling as it portrayed New York in the films. Rather than everyone singing and dancing about "The American Dream", people were rushing past each other, cell phones in hand, not bothering to acknowledge the existence of other humans.

"It's not as I would have imagined it," Kiku said.

"Yeah, same. It's kind of dirty, but that's expected of any major city."

The two stood in silence, watching the cars fly past and the snow fall to the ground. This lasted a few short minutes, until Kiku's grumbling stomach interrupted.

"I haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon, and given your stomach, I'll say that you haven't either. Would you like to try some food on the streets? Never mind the calories, I've heard New York street food is very good," Arthur turned away from the window to grab his coat.

Although he wouldn't need it, he found it handy to have, just in case…

Kiku followed suit, grabbing his jumper from the rack and slipping it on. "So hot dogs for breakfast? That's an interesting choice coming from you."

Arthur laughed, "We're on holiday! We need to live a little."

"Hot dogs for breakfast, you're truly living life on the edge," Kiku spoke the comment with a blank expression, though his tone was facetious.

"You're so sarcastic sometimes. Do you get that from me?" Arthur opened the door, allowing Kiku to leave first.

"Maybe so," Kiku shot back, a simper on his lips. To this, Arthur faked a gasp, but continued walking, nevertheless.

When they reached the lobby, it was seemingly empty. Even the person at the desk was absent, presumably filing paperwork, according to the little sticky note left on the countertop that read, "Filing paperwork, please be patient and have a seat".

Arthur sighed at this. How irresponsible. If he wanted, he could steal her things, and no one would notice. He wasn't even sure if they had security cameras, the hotel was so meagre.

Disregarding the poor management skills, Arthur and Kiku strode outside into the chilly weather. Kiku shivered a bit, tightening his hold on his jumper, while Arthur simply took a deep breath, taking in the sights around him.

He was in _New York City_. It was hard to believe, considering the events that had taken place in the precedent weeks. Just one week ago, he was beat up over work and bills, and now he was in New York City, of all places. The trip was so unlike him! It was entirely on a whim, rather than planning it out. He was being so _spontaneous_ , and the most surprising thing of all, _he liked it._

The day went by fairly quickly. They had first stopped and eaten a couple of hot dogs, sufficing Arthur's wishes. The hot dogs certainly were something to fuss about. Kiku had even bought a second one. After eating, they took tours around the city, travelling from Queens to Brooklyn and eventually to Manhattan, more so closer to Times Square, just past Central Park.

Arthur would usually despise being seen as a tourist, but Kiku somehow convinced him otherwise, even buying him a little keychain with the Statue of Liberty on it, which Arthur placed in his pocket, promising to put it on his suitcase later.

"Next up is the Statue of Liberty. I've been waiting to see this all day," Arthur looked over Kiku's shoulder at the list he had written, pointing to the very last item on the list.

Kiku nodded, "So have I. I hope it isn't busy."

"I doubt it. It's quite snowy, I wouldn't imagine anyone would go see Lady Liberty in this weather."

"According to Google, it isn't busy," Kiku lifted his phone to Arthur's eye view to show him the screen.

"Hm, I suppose not," Arthur put his hand to his chin, thinking. "We should go now then, before it gets busy."

It was almost one in the afternoon; the two had spent practically all morning sightseeing in the city. There was a lot to see, after all. They hadn't decided where they would want to go next, but Kiku had suggested going to New Jersey, inclined that it was only a short state away.

When Arthur and Kiku arrived at the Statue of Liberty, they were elated that it wasn't too busy. The statue was certainly taller than either of them had anticipated. To be quite honest, they weren't sure what they were expecting. It was beautiful, nevertheless. Both Arthur and Kiku enjoyed history and monuments such as this, ergo this had been what they were most looking forward to in New York.

Climbing up the stairs had been a bit of a pain. There were 354 steps - Kiku had taken note beforehand. Fortunately, the two of them were in good shape, so it hadn't been too much trouble.

As Kiku had said before, there weren't many people visiting, as it was winter, and people would rather visit a national monument in warm weather. Due to this, it hadn't taken as long as it normally would to climb up the stairs (much to their delight), only about twenty-five minutes or so.

When they reached the crown, Kiku began shivering and holding onto the thick jumper sheltering him.

Arthur noticed this and looked at Kiku with concerned eyes, "You seem cold… Would you like to borrow my coat? It seems warmer than yours, plus I won't be needing it. It might be a bit big, but at least it'll protect you from the weather."

Kiku smiled shyly, accepting the offer and reaching out his hand for the coat Arthur was offering. It did seem very warm… It was an olive-green coat sporting the logo of Arthur's company he worked for, the inside embodied with soft grey fur. Kiku found himself to be jubilant when he put it on. It really _was_ warm, Arthur wasn't lying…

As a silent thank you, Kiku bowed slightly and moved over to the other side of Arthur, indubitably to get a better sight of the city over the body of water. Arthur followed suit, walking to the edge of the crown, peering over the edge.

There were about twenty other people on the crown, some in groups, some solitary. They were talking among their peers, one girl even taking a photo with her arms spread out, a large smile on her face.

Arthur tore his eyes away from the people and back down toward the edge. They were very high up… He could see the people walking on the island below them; they looked like tiny ants from Arthur's perspective, maybe even smaller. It was all amazing.

"It's very pretty up here, looking down on the city over there," Kiku reached his hand out of the crown and pointed to their earlier site, "It was so busy earlier, but now it seems almost peaceful."

Kiku sighed, the cold air brushing against his skin, colouring it a light hue of red. It _was_ rather cold, the ninety metres they were above the ground chilling them a bit. Before he knew it, Kiku's teeth began to chatter.

Arthur, upon noting this, turned to Kiku once more and, without any words, slowly led him over to the spot by the stairs. Arthur let an old couple pass before pulling him down the first steps and to a heated corner before speaking. "Are you alright? You were shivering. We don't have to stay up here, you know."

Kiku shivered once more, an effect in the sudden change of temperature, and shook his head. "I am cold, but I would hate for you to leave here after such a short amount of time spent."

Arthur waved his hand dismissively, "No, no. It's fine, really. I can't feel the weather, remember? You can, and I think we should go elsewhere before you freeze to death up here."

Kiku began to interject, but Arthur quickly stopped him, "No, you have no say in this. I appreciate you looking out for my interests, but your health is much more important."

Slowly, Kiku at his side, Arthur walked began to walk the rest of the way down. If possible, there seemed to be even less people this time, maybe two other people per flight, if that.

There was heating surrounding the stairs, much to his joyance. He hated to have Kiku suffer because of him… He felt even worse that he _couldn't_ be cold because of this confounded Soulmate Effect.

It was both a blessing and a curse, they said, but to Arthur, it had proven to be more of a curse than anything…

He was, of course, ecstatic that he was in New York and therefore closer to his soulmate than he had ever been, but in the long run, it seemed to be more trouble than it was worth. He had come all this way (not for the purpose of finding his soulmate, but for the purpose of having a well-deserved holiday) and for what? The heat was absolutely killing him, he felt as if he was on fire.

Yet, it did give him a bit of an adrenaline rush just knowing that he was _this_ close to his soulmate, the person he was destined to be with since the day he was born. Kiku had said earlier that the longing Arthur was feeling wasn't part of the Soulmate Effect, but he wasn't so sure. It was as if something inside him wanted to drop everything he was doing and everything they had planned to go and find his soulmate, completely disregarding their organised list. This was… unlike him, incredibly unlike him. Kiku had never experienced the Soulmate Effect until the end, unlike so many others; was he really a reliable source to hear about the Soulmate Effect from?

"Hey, Kiku," Arthur said, bringing Kiku's attention toward him, "Can I ask you something about the Soulmate Effect?"

"Yes, I think I'll be able to answer it from your experiences thus far," Kiku took his hand from the metallic railing and began to fiddle his fingers together.

"I want to drop everything I'm doing to go find my soulmate, which is definitely unlike me. We planned this, all of it, and worked so hard in doing so, yet I want to drop everything? Is that part of the Soulmate Effect?" Arthur's words were jumbled together, dreading a negative reply from his friend.

Kiku paused for a moment. No sound was heard but the awkward footsteps down the stairs. Finally, after thought, he responded, "It may be. This may be contradicting myself earlier, but you make a good point. That is unlike you… I couldn't see you doing something like that. Would you… like to drop everything?"

Arthur's breath hitched, although he wasn't sure why. Why was he behaving so unlike himself? "Y- Well, I say no, but... A deeper part of me is saying yes," Arthur threw his head back and groaned, "I hate this."

Kiku laughed at Arthur's motion, "I know. It's confusing, but that's to be expected. Would you… like to go see a doctor? It would cost nothing; soulmate check-ups are free."

"Yes, that would be nice. I'm not sure why I didn't suggest that earlier, I suppose my mind was pushing the Soulmate Effect back."

"Ah, I understand that. You have no need to worry, though. I'm sure the doctor will know more about the Soulmate Effect than I."

By the time the two were finished speaking, they had reached the bottom of the stairs and daylight was clear and visible again. Going back to the main city had been a bit more difficult due to the numerous sum of people walking around and chattering amongst themselves. Arthur could've sworn that he was elbowed in the side about twenty times on the ferry. Kiku, being the shorter of the two, was not elbowed at all and continuously joked about this fact to Arthur. Thanks to the magic of Taxis, they were able to arrive at the nearest Doctor's office (they had decided to go to a small one rather than a big hospital that would most definitely be busy) in a short amount of time.

The building was not in New York, but in New Jersey, right in the centre of a small city named "Jersey City", the particular area they were in called "Lafayette".

The building seemed very nice and very homey for a city. It was made of bricks of assorted monochromatic colours and very well-put-together, by the looks of it. There was a small sign hanging on the front of the building reading "A.A. Medical" in slightly extravagant letters.

This was definitely a better idea than going to a big hospital, Arthur had decided. The exterior seemed friendly and welcoming, and by the looks of it, not many people visited, making the wait for Arthur and Kiku easier.

Much to their delight, when they entered the building, there was very little wait. There were seats all around, with only two occupied by a young boy and his mother.

While Kiku looked around the room, Arthur walked up to the receptionist, folding his hands in front of him.

"How may I help you?" The receptionist asked in a blank tone, typing away on her computer.

"Yes, I'm here for a check-up. A soulmate check-up, to be more specific," Arthur placed his folded hands on the counter, catching eyes with the receptionist, whose name was apparently Evangeline, according to her name tag.

"A soulmate check-up? Mhm, alright. Please have a seat and someone will come get you soon," Evangeline moved a stray hair from her face and continued typing.

Arthur left the desk and took a seat next to Kiku, who was seemingly playing with one of the toys they set out for children.

"Are you playing with a kid's toy?" Arthur looked at the toy in curiosity.

"More or less; I'm just looking at it. You move the little balls up and down these curvy rods," Kiku demonstrated by taking a green ball and sliding it up a rod, watching it fall down the bottom of the next one.

Arthur placed his hands in his lap, crossing his legs. Kiku was fascinated by the strangest of things.

"Mommy! I don't wanna get a shot, don't make me!"

Arthur's eyes lifted from the toy to across the room, where the young child was crying, one hand holding onto the chair and the other in his mother's hand. The mother was in an attempt to pull him to the nurse, who was standing to the side, hands folded behind her back.

"That's why I don't want kids," Kiku whispered into Arthur's ear, both watching the situation unfold. If it hadn't been inappropriate to laugh, Arthur would have burst out at that moment.

"Soulmate check-up?" A voice called from the corner, catching Kiku and Arthur's attention.

Arthur's eyes widened for a moment. How long had it been, only a few minutes? That wasn't slow at all.

Arthur raised his hand slightly, so the nurse could see, nudging Kiku to follow him.

"So, where you from? I can tell you aren't from here, you don't have the mannerisms for it," the nurse spoke in a thick accent, presumably New Jersey, as Arthur couldn't tell the difference between any of the eastern United States accents.

"England," Arthur replied smoothly.

"England? Oh, I can tell now," the nurse stopped speaking for a moment to take a turn, eventually opening a door, allowing the pair to enter first.

"You can have a seat anywhere you want," the nurse waved her hand around the room, placing the clipboard she was holding onto the messy counter.

Arthur nodded and, alongside Kiku, took a seat on the leather sofa beside the height-measurement device.

"So, did your soulmate bring you here?"

"No… Not exactly. I came here with my friend," Arthur gestured to Kiku beside him, who waved awkwardly, "to have a nice holiday, but I kind of forgot my soulmate was in the United States and… now it's really hot."

The nurse about choked at Arthur's explanation, "Wait, you forgot about your soulmate? How does that even happen?"

Arthur's cheeks turned a tinted red and he fiddled his thumbs sheepishly, "It's a bit of a long story from when I was younger. It's sort of embarrassing."

The nurse shrugged leaning her elbow against the countertop, "I got time."

Arthur sighed. He was really hoping he wouldn't have to explain this to anyone, let alone a complete stranger. This doctor seemed very… unprofessional. She had long black hair put in a side braid with a fair share of makeup on her face, along with some large silver hoop earrings. She certainly didn't look like a doctor, but Arthur decided not to question it. She had the knowledge, as it seemed from the abundance of information lying on her desk, so he deemed her trustworthy.

When Arthur was finished explaining everything to her, – from that story when he was fourteen to his longing to meet his soulmate – she nodded, chin in hand.

"It's just odd because everyone who comes in here usually _wants_ to meet their soulmate, you know? You're definitely the first I've been who has had doubts."

Arthur wanted to groan. Out of everyone who has come by (in such a populated area), he was the _first_. Curse him and his angsty teenage years.

"It's not that I don't want to, it's just that's not what I came here for. And, well, now this heat is becoming unbearable, so I need to find my soulmate. Kiku suggested I go see a doctor," Arthur's eyes flickered up from his hands to the nurse's eyes.

"Mhm, I see. I'll need to ask you a few questions then," the nurse lifted a clipboard from her desk and uncapped a pen, preparing to take notes, "Can you tell me from England where you live?"

"London."

The nurse scribbled something on her paper, and then looked up, "When did you feel the soulmate effect? I know it's when you were fourteen, but how about the exact date?"

"The fourth of July in 2008."

"Ah, so Independence Day. That's my niece's birthday. And so you came here because you wanted to take a vacation because of stress?"

Arthur nodded, folding his hands in his lap.

"Did you go anywhere else before here, or here first? And tell me the temperature changes you felt from the moment you arrived in the country to right now."

"Uh, well we arrived at JFK airport in New York City. I immediately felt a change in temperature. I mean, when I was on the plane ride here it was gradually getting warmer, but as soon as I stepped foot on the ground, it felt as if… all of the planets were aligned. It sounds a bit odd, doesn't it? But that's the only way I could describe it, really," Arthur scratched the back of his head in nervousness. It was so awkward to be talking about something so _personal_ with someone he hardly knew.

The nurse nodded in understanding, gesturing for him to go on.

"We went to the hotel room, I was burning hot. We toured around New York City a bit, went to the Statue of Liberty, and then we're here."

"Would you say it's hotter in here or New York City?" The nurse quickly made notes on her paper, and looked back up at Arthur, who was closing his eyes in concentration.

"Uh… Maybe… Here. Yeah, definitely here. It's not much, but it's a difference."

"Excellent. Do you mind if I see your wrist?"

Arthur exchanged glances with Kiku, who simply shrugged at her question. Arthur took that as a "just go with it" and reluctantly held out his wrist to the nurse, who was preparing something in the corner out of Arthur's eye view.

Finally, she turned around, bringing a small bracelet toward Arthur, "This is a device that measures your body temperature. It will give me a clue as to exactly where your soulmate is in America. From what you've told me, they're definitely located on the east coast, no further than South Carolina. Please adjust this to your size and wait a few moments for the result."

Carefully, Arthur slid the bracelet onto his wrist, adjusting it to the fitted size. After about a minute of waiting (it felt like forever to Arthur and Kiku), the device finally beeped. The nurse quickly rushed over to Arthur and took a look at the bracelet, slipping it off and placing it back on the desk before the Brit could even get a glimpse of it.

After a few more minutes of waiting, the nurse finally spoke. "Well, these are most certainly interesting results. Your soulmate is in range of seventy-five degrees west to seventy-eight degrees west. Latitude. And with an even tighter range of longitude, it ranges from thirty-eight to thirty-nine degrees north, which would bring us to…" the nurse walked over to the wall, pulling down a roll-up map of the United States from the ceiling, moving her finger along the states, "Delaware, Maryland, or even the very southern tip of New Jersey. Just south of Atlantic City."

Arthur stared at the map, dumbfounded. He had no idea where any of those states were, only that they were on the east cost. Atlantic City must have been in New Jersey; weren't they in New Jersey, did that mean they were close?

"I'll be back with more results, hopefully. Take this time to look at the map," the nurse collected a few things in hand, and left the two in the room alone, silence engulfing them.

Finally, Kiku spoke up. "There are so many states in the east, I have no idea where any of them may be located."

Arthur stifled a laugh, "Yeah, me, too. Seriously, so many states. We're in New Jersey right now, yeah? So let's find out where Atlantic City is." Feet finding the ground once more, Arthur strode over to the map, pointing to New York. "We were here. In New York City. Now we're here, in Jersey City. And… the rest of New Jersey is here," Arthur moved his finger in a circle around the remainder of the state.

Kiku followed suit, eyes scanning the map before them. "Maryland is there, and so is Delaware. The rest of New Jersey is there… And Atlantic City is there!" Kiku's voice perked at finding Atlantic City. It was just on the coast of the southern half of New Jersey, aligned with Baltimore. Do you think we should visit Baltimore first? It is a big city and I am sure it has much to offer."

Arthur hummed, placing his chin in his hand, "I'm not sure. I don't want to go somewhere only for it to be a waste. We should wait until she returns with further information."

Kiku nodded once, bringing his eyes toward the door, and then back to the map. "Should we visit smaller cities as well, perhaps even towns? It would be nice to see life in small towns, and it would be a break from visiting cities."

"I actually like that idea. We should visit a town while we're here, maybe relax for a bit. It's been a hectic past few days and frankly, I'm exhausted."

Just as Kiku was about to reply, the nurse opened the door, a new paper in hand. "I found something!"

Arthur's eyes jolted from the map to the paper in her hand. As much as he hated to admit it, all of this talk of his soulmate and where they could possibly be located was exciting him. In no less than a week, there would no longer be only Kiku at his side, but another person as well, a person he would spend his entire life with and would forever alter his future. Thinking on it now seemed like nothing, but he knew that in a short amount of time, just one person would change his life forever and affect it in ways he couldn't even begin to imagine.

"I've pinpointed the exact state and small area that your soulmate is located," the nurse opened a manila folder, showing the documents inside to Arthur and drawing a triangle on a map with red marker. "Your soulmate is in this area right here, somewhere between Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Frederick, which is up here."

As Arthur was about to say something, the nurse interrupted. "Oh, before you leave, how long exactly have you been in the United States?"

Arthur thought for a bit, although no thought was necessary. "About one day or so."

The nurse chewed her lip, "I'll just - While on your hunt, be careful of time. Time can be very sensitive in times like this. You have'ta make sure you find your soulmate as quick as possible or else the heat can become unbearable. You won't die, obviously; the world isn't that cruel. It's just really uncomfortable, trust me. That's why it's great of you to have come here for a check-up, hopefully this will quicken your findings."

Arthur shuddered at the thought of unbearable heat. He thought it was bad now… What she was explaining made it seem as if he would be on the verge of death!

Upon seeing her patients reaction, the nurse nodded, her lips pursing, "Yeah, that's a part of the Soulmate Effect people overlook. Remember, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Everything has a cost, even something as glorious as the Soulmate Effect. But I promise you, in the long run, everything will turn out perfectly. It always does."

"Shou- Where do you recommend we travel to next?"

"Me.? Hmm, I'd recommend Baltimore. It is the closest and the second most-populated of the cities, it would be most reasonable."

Arthur thought for a moment. It would be the quickest to travel, but was it really the most reasonable choice? She said it was the second most-populated, which would mean Washington D.C. was the first. Wouldn't it make more sense to go to the most populous city rather than the second most-populous?

Based on the puzzled look on Kiku's face, he could tell that he didn't understand it well either. After all, the two thought more alike than not. He was probably leaning more toward Washington D.C. as well, but was too afraid to say something to the nurse who had helped them.

Notion in mind, Arthur decided to go along with it. He was sure that Kiku was thinking the same.

"Thank you for all of your help, we really appreciate it," Arthur spoke, smiling brightly at the nurse.

"No problem! I hope you have a nice journey upon finding your soulmate. Oh, and if you ever have any extra questions, call here and ask for Angelica. The number is on the website," the nurse, supposedly Angelica (she didn't tell them otherwise) waved, ushering the boys out the door.

Once Arthur exited the building, he let out a burdensome breath. How exhausting… He had travelled to the United States to relax. He was most certain that this was _not_ relaxing. Yet he couldn't deny that finding his soulmate did seem quite endearing. He was excited deep inside, even if the rational part of him opposed it.

Arthur looked to his right at Kiku, who was scrolling through his phone, studying a map of the United States. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, most likely deciding where they would go next.

"Washington D.C., right?" Arthur asked the question more to himself than to Kiku, but Kiku answered, nevertheless.

"Yes, it would be easiest, considering it is in the middle of where the nurse said are the possible areas to try."

"Mmm, that's true. I hadn't thought of that. Good on you, then. How do you say we get our stuff and take a railway?" Arthur put his hand in front of his eyes, blocking the excruciatingly bright sun.

Kiku nodded once, leading the way to a bus that would take them on their way back to the hotel.

They had arrived at their hotel in no time, Arthur fervidly fanning himself half of the way, the heat worsening.

Kiku flung open the door, flopping himself on the bed, "I'm tired."

Arthur made a noise somewhat resemblant of a cough, "Yeah, tell me about it. It's going to be nice when we do find my soulmate, though. Hopefully you two will get along well."

Kiku turned over on the bed, sitting up, "I'm sure we will. If they are your soulmate, it wouldn't be unlikely if we got along. After all, you and I get along well."

"That is true. I'm just so nervous, you know? Ahh, the anxiety is killing me," although Arthur's words were filled with restlessness, his tone was upbeat.

Kiku did not reply, only silently concurred. It was understandable how he was feeling, especially for someone of his situation. Truth be told, he did believe that Arthur would find love with this soulmate, no matter the amount of times he had doubted the effect. Every person Kiku had met who had met their soulmate had found love. When most people heard Kiku's story, it was common for them to feel sympathy for him. After all, he had lost the person he was destined to be with before he even had the chance to meet them, even know their name. Alas, that was in the past and he had gotten over it long ago. Romance wasn't a particular fascination of Kiku's as it was other's, so he had simply brushed the incident off and continued with his life. Focussing on the negative only led to more negative.

It was nice to live Arthur's journey with him and be apart of one of the most important moments of his life. He saw Arthur as his best friend and he was happy to be at his side, especially during something as nerve wracking as this.

It was all too exciting, as if Kiku were reliving his visit to the United Kingdom to meet his soulmate. Arthur deserved some happiness in his life and very soon, he would receive it.

They would be in Washington D.C. in no time.

 _Washington D.C._

"Uno!" A very tumultuous Alfred threw his hands up in the air, as well as his single card, falling onto his back with a thud.

The brothers had spent an hour or so playing board games, just the two of them. Gilbert was unable to play, as he was stuck in classes and studies. It was a shame, Alfred had thought. Gilbert really was the best to play board games with (especially pictionary). He was hilarious and could never fail to put a smile on Alfred's face, as well as Matthew's.

"You have no idea how hot it is right now, Mattie. I'm dying; put me out of my misery," Alfred let his arms splay out on the ground, head facing the wall.

Matthew only stood up from where he was sitting on the ground and walked a foot over to Alfred, raising his eyebrows at him.

"Fan me, Mattie," Alfred's head turned to his left now, his glasses falling from his face and onto the ground. "Ah, no! My glasses!"

Before Alfred could grab his glasses, Matthew bent down and picked them up from the ground, examining them in his hands. Alfred immediately jumped up from the ground in an attempt to snatch them back, but to no avail, as Matthew was now holding them above both of their heads.

Alfred frowned, beginning to turn away, then quickly seized Matthew's glasses from him and placing them atop his nose.

"Look, I'm you now," Alfred beamed.

Matthew, rather than trying to get them back, put Alfred's glasses on. "I'm Alfred! I love aliens and science and falling on my face!"

"Hey! I fall on my face the normal amount, I'll have you know," Alfred put his hand to his chest, faking a mockery, and then continued, "I'm Matthew and I put too much maple syrup on my pancakes! Sometimes I even think of pouring maple syrup on Gilbert and-"

Before Alfred could dare to finish his sentence, Matthew tackled him to the ground, eventually nabbing his glasses back and replacing the existing pair on his face.

Alfred took his glasses back, holding his stomach in laughter. This caused Matthew to emit into fits of laughter, and soon enough, the room was filled with nothing but merriment.

After a few moments, the laughter died down and the two brothers were left in a room of silence.

Matthew spoke a short moment later. "Alfred, what's new with the Soulmate Effect? It's been a good two minutes since you talked about it, are you feeling okay?" Matthew walked over to Alfred and put his hand on his forehead, faking a concerned look.

Alfred laughed, "No! I'm fine, I just needed my glasses back! You know, without these, I wouldn't actually be able to _see_ my soulmate."

"Oh, right," Matthew dragged out the word, falling onto his bed and pulling out his phone. "It's still early, just late afternoon. Do you want to do something?"

"Huh? That early? It seems like so much later. I don't know, do you want to watch a movie or something?" Alfred sat on the ground, pulling out the collection of movies stashed on the bottom shelf of the entertainment center.

Matthew lifted his head, "Sure, what movie?"

"Uhhh," Alfred shuffled through the abundance of films, undecided on which to pick, "it doesn't matter. Do you like, wanna watch Lego Batman or something? Great movie, ten out of ten doctors would recommend."

"Yeah, why not?"

Alfred snickered to himself, putting the disc in the DVD player and leaning back against a pillow on the ground to watch it, Matthew still lounging on his bed. The movie was a considerable length, two hours and nine minutes, so about the time the film was over, it was a little past four in the afternoon.

Alfred stretched, sitting up from his spot on the floor, and looked at his brother.

Matthew stumbled to get up from the bed, eventually sitting up, cross-legged, and gave Alfred a look. No, _the_ look.

It was the look he had when he wanted something, a look Alfred had grown very accustomed to the nineteen years he had known him.

"Hey, Alfred…" Matthew dragged out his brother's name, placing his hands in front of him on the bed.

Alfred scoured his eyes, "What?"

"Can we go visit Gilbert? He should be out of his last class soon, it's been too long since I've seen him."

Alfred closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head jokingly, "Tsk, tsk. You just can't seem to stay away from him for two seconds, can you?"

Matthew rolled his eyes, "Oh, right. Like you're one to speak. You're the one who's been talking about their soulmate non-stop for like, forever. If you knew where they were you would be attached at the hip."

Alfred scoffed at this, "No! I- I wouldn't. I'd spend an appropriate time with them and give them personal space whenever needed."

Matthew sighed, shaking his head disapprovingly. Then, a sickeningly sweet smirk took place of the frown. "So… If I were to say i'm going to look for your soulmate, you wouldn't go with me?"

Alfred nearly fell on his face (again). "You wouldn't!"

"Oh, I would. In fact-," Matthew stood up from the bed, feet meeting the ground once again, and slipped some trainers on.

Alfred's mouth gaped open. He knew it would be practically impossible for Matthew to find his soulmate without him, but still, the thought that his soulmate was out there was too tempting to resist. He would search the entire world if he had to, and he was sure his soulmate would do the same.

His heart was beating fast just at the thought of it. Somewhere close, his soulmate was out there, _looking for him_. It was incredibly romantic, really. What if his whole purpose of travelling to the United States was so he could find his soulmate? Oh! That would be even more romantic; Alfred surely hoped that was the case.

Alfred groaned, placing the movie back on the shelf and standing up, "You're not really going to try and search, are you?"

"Do you wanna join? You know, I won't go without you."

"What? You're serious?"

Matthew nodded, pulling an arm through the sleeve of his jumper.

Alfred, seeing this, quickly put some shoes on as well as a T-Shirt. Was Mattie actually going through with this? Had he gone mad? Washington D.C. was such a big city and it was incredibly unlikely to find one person in a big city. There weren't just the citizens as well, but also the tourists, who were usually a big hassle to get past.

Still, Matthew was an amazing brother to offer to do something as troubling as this. They weren't even sure if his soulmate was in Washington D.C. or not, just that he was in the United States. He could literally be in California; they didn't know. But the thought that Matthew would help him during times like this was charming. Matthew really was a good brother.

"Without Gilbert? Or is he coming?" Alfred was fully dressed now, only needing to change his shirt and slip some shoes on, and was now waiting eagerly at the door.

"Of course Gilbert's coming. The more, the merrier, I suppose," Matthew shrugged, pushing open the door, and leading the way to Gilbert's class.

When they arrived, Matthew was ecstatic to see that Gilbert was already waiting by the door, unwrapping a snack cake.

"Hey, Matthew! Alfred!" The albino waved, gesturing the two to come forward. "So, we leaving now? I'm set. Oh! Are we going to go around and be tourists? I haven't seen any of the monuments since I've been here… Can we?"

Matthew gasped, "None at all? Then you really must see them. Alfred knows more about U.S. history than I do, so he can be your tour guide!"

Alfred, who was staring at a bug on the ground, looked up at the sound of his name, "Huh? Oh, yeah. I can! I'm stellar at U.S. history." He was _beaming_ at the fact.

Gilbert's face lit up at Alfred's comment, immediately getting into a conversation about World War II. A couple minutes later, Matthew spoke up.

"It's getting to be the busy hour, do you guys wanna leave before midnight or…?" Matthew dragged on the last word, pulling his boyfriend and brother toward the door.

Gilbert rolled his eyes and pumped his fist in the air, "I'm just excited for some history! Yeah!"

Alfred did the same. "Yeah!"

The way to Matthew's car was excruciatingly painful. Gilbert and Alfred were apparently both giant history nerds, so they continuously talked amongst themselves regarding certain events in history and their favourite American generals.

All Matthew knew was that it was going to be a _long_ rest of the day.

 _Bethesda, Maryland_

Trains were peaceful, Arthur liked to think. The scenery was absolutely lovely, watching from inside. He had the privilege of watching all the beautiful trees and wilderness all in the warmth and comfort of his seat.

"America is beautiful," Arthur spoke the words softly, mesmerised by the towering oak trees outside of the window. Kiku nodded from the opposite side of the table, admiring the plant life outside.

The train they had boarded was fairly small (one would expect a larger train from New York City) with small tables being shared between two cushioned seats. There weren't many people on it, as there were much bigger trains available to board and people preferred to ride the larger ones. Still, their choices allowed for a more relaxing ride for Arthur and Kiku. The train was quiet, the only sound being the soft classical music playing from above. It surely gave the two an old-timey feel; it was nice, to say the least.

The remainder of the ride was tranquil; the attendant on the train had even offered Arthur and Kiku refreshments as well as little sandwich samples. The samples were absolutely delicious, consisting of turkey, swiss cheese, and mayonnaise. It was very simple, but appetising, nevertheless.

It wasn't long when they had finally arrived in Washington D.C. The railway was far from the monuments, but Arthur and Kiku were still able to see the colossal white buildings from behind the trees. It was all too surreal and definitely too beautiful to be real. Why had they not visited here first-hand? Washington D.C. was wonderful, definitely more aesthetically pleasing than New York City had been…

Although Washington D.C. had many people inhabiting it, the city was not made up of litter. Truth be told, it looked quite peaceful. There were fields of flowers every which way, as well as hedges and perfectly-trimmed bushes, a thin layer of snow on top.

Kiku seemed to be mesmerised by his surroundings as well, as his eyes were glued to the glass, unable to tear them away from the world around him.

At last, the train stopped, bringing Kiku and Arthur back to reality. The train really was lovely, they hadn't wanted to leave, but alas, they had to. Of course, it wasn't all too much of a bad thing, given how enthralled they were with the city - and without even stepping foot on the soil…

Kiku was the first to leave the train, Arthur following close behind him. As soon as the door was open and Kiku stepped foot on ground, he felt a cool breeze on his face, cheeks tinting red.

Arthur lugged both his and Kiku's suitcases behind them (they hadn't packed much, it was fairly easy for the Brit to manage), careful of the steps.

Washington D.C. was even more beautiful from outside. Seeing it in person was unbelievable, something like a dream. It was amazing.

People were walking around in light winter jackets and hats. There was a thin blanket of snow on the ground, providing for an even more lovely scenery. They had only spent a minute on Washington D.C. soil and it already beat New York City by a landslide.

"Hey, Kiku-" Arthur turned around to say something, but had instead found Kiku enthralled in a pamphlet in his hands. Seeing this, Arthur peeked over Kiku's shoulder to get a look at what he was so caught up in. It seemed to be a little directory of the top tourist spots in the city.

"Oh," Kiku turned around, only to bump into Arthur's chin. Arthur stepped back a bit. Kiku must have been too preoccupied in the pamphlet to recognise Arthur's presence behind him. Recomposing himself, Kiku continued again, "If possible, are we able to see the sights? This is a very beautiful city."

Arthur nodded, placing his hand on his chin, "Yes… I was going to suggest that myself. It's definitely better than New York; I'll say that."

"That's true. This city is very clean-cut."

"Yeah, that's a good way of putting it. Where do you want to go first? Do you want to get a tour guide? There's a bus over there, I believe."

Kiku looked to his right to find a fair-sized bus, a few people in line behind it. "That would be nice, at least then we have transportation. What will we do with our bags?"

"We can carry them; it's no hassle. If someone tries to take them we'll just whack them with it," Arthur made a motion of swinging a suitcase, a smile settling on Kiku's face.

As it seemed, the bus ride happened to be completely free, much to the two's delight. Luck was definitely on their side today; who knew what else would happen?

They toured around for a bit, not visiting the most famous things until last, the tour guide had said. All this while, Arthur was burning up. It wasn't as painful as Angelica had described, not that Arthur was complaining. It was just… uncomfortable, incredibly uncomfortable.

At this particular moment, the tour guide was introducing them to the Lincoln memorial (which, as Arthur noted, was bigger than he had anticipated). It was at this time that Arthur had to use the toilets. _Of course_ it had to be at the time where the tour was just getting good… Agh.

"Hey, Kiku. I have to use the toilets. Wait for me?" Arthur bit his lip, waiting for a reply.

Kiku nodded, ushering Arthur away.

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief, making his way to the nearest lavatory. It was in an enclosed area, a few trees surrounding it. Much to his joy, it was clean. He wasn't sure what he would've done if it had been in a dirty area. The thought disgusted him.

Arthur made his way to the lavatory, quickly relieving himself (one thought he had when doing so was the inconvenience of the American stalls. Why were they so wide? Someone could literally look through the crack if they so desired. It wasn't rational design; that's all Arthur knew). When he was finished, he walked over to the sinks and began washing his hands. Right as he was about to reach for the soap, he bumped hands with someone who happened to be reaching for the soap at the same time.

"Oh, I apologise for that," Arthur said.

The man waved him off, "Nah, it's fine. That one is out, so I'm using this one."

How curious… Was that a German accent? That just proved how diverse this city really was. He had not bumped into an American, but a German.

"You touring here?" The man spoke in a animated voice. He certainly was a character, if his silver hair and red eyes didn't tell one otherwise. He looked as if he just came from an anime.

"Yes, I'm just taking a break from stress back in England. What about you? Are you touring here?"

"Me? Sort of. I live here, but I have never toured around, you know? Right now I'm just hanging with my boyfriend and his brother because his brother is obsessed with finding his soulmate," the German rolled his eyes.

"Oh, how curious. I'm here to find my soulmate as well. It's been a long way."

Before the man could reply, a person of similar age with glasses and sort of curly, dirty-blond hair jogged in. "Gilbert, you've been in here forever! Come on, Alfred is getting impatient."

"One minute, Matthew. I'm talking to this guy here," the German, apparently Gilbert, gestured over to where Arthur was standing.

Arthur waved awkwardly, forcing a smile on his face. "Arthur," he said.

"Arthur," Gilbert repeated, still looking at Matthew.

Matthew sighed, "You know how Alfred gets. He says he's burning up."

Gilbert groaned, "Fine," and then turned to Arthur, who was drying his hands. "I hope you enjoy your stay here. It's a great place."

Arthur smiled (genuinely), "Thank you, Gilbert. I appreciate it."

Matthew gave Arthur a smile, wishing him the same, then quickly pulled Gilbert away. Arthur left the toilets after them, walking in the opposite direction.

"I hope you find your soulmate!" Gilbert called after Arthur, but it seemed he couldn't hear him, as he was now boarding a bus, a Japanese man at his side.

Suddenly, Matthew stopped dead in his tracks. "What?"

"Huh? What I said to him?"

Matthew nodded vigorously, looking Gilbert in the eyes.

"I just wished him luck in finding his soulma- _Oh._ "

Matthew's mouth fell open, blinking at his boyfriend in disbelief. "I literally cannot believe you just did that."

"Well, we don't know if that was Alfred's soulmate! I mean, that could be anyone!" Gilbert's voice was filled with nervousness, embarrassed at his slip-up.

"Hey! Guys! You wouldn't believe how hot it is right now; I feel like i'm on fire!" a voice spoke.

Matthew, mouth still agape, turned towards Alfred, who was running toward the two, a huge grin on his face.

"My soulmate is here! And really, really close! Seriously! I can feel it!"

Matthew turned toward Gilbert, giving him 'a look'. Gilbert scratched the back of his head, looking at Matthew, then Alfred.

"What's up, guys? You're acting all weird."

Matthew sighed once more, shaking his head jokingly, "Gilbert here ran into someone in the bathroom. Would you like to tell Alfred what happened?"

Gilbert's face was completely red in comparison to his pale complexion. "I… may have accidentally met your soulmate in the bathroom and not realised it until after he left."

Gilbert expected Alfred to blow up in his face, maybe even smack him. Instead, Alfred began laughing, causing the other two to exchange confused looks.

"Alfred's broken," Gilbert whispered, emitting a wide-eyed nod from Matthew.

"That's so like you, Gilbert. Seriously," Alfred waved his hand dismissively at his brother, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Eh? You're not upset?" Matthew asked. Was Alfred serious?

Alfred shook his head, hands behind his back, "Nope! I'm just… I don't know! It feels so weird! Do you want to, like- Wait!" Suddenly, Alfred stopped talking and gasped. "My soulmate is a he! No way! What was he like? No, don't tell me, I want to see for myself. Wait, where was he from? Is he from Germany like you said? No, no, don't tell me. I have to see for myself. Was he pretty? I bet he was, wasn't he?"

There it was. As expected, Alfred was rambling off and on about his soulmate, seemingly ecstatic that Gilbert had _found_ him (and lost him, Matthew felt to add).

"No, no. What does he look like? We have to find him!" Alfred's eyes were wide with excitement. He was practically shaking.

"He had blond hair, kind of scruffy. And green eyes; I remember because you never really see green eyes around, right? He was wearing a leather jacket and a T-Shirt with some band I didn't recognise on it..." Gilbert stopped, distracted by the starry look in Alfred's eyes.

He was enamoured with Gilbert's every word, fists clenching in excitement. Gilbert couldn't tell if his cheeks were rosy from the cold or blushing… It was unlike Alfred to become flustered like this. He was usually outgoing and gregarious, but from the way that he was acting right now, he gave the impression of a young school boy in love.

"I- Well- Do we really have time?" Matthew spoke from beside Gilbert. His face was as bright as Alfred's, feeling nothing but happiness for his younger brother. His tone was full of pure joviality. From Gilbert's eye view, the two looked exactly the same. It was obvious they were related.

Alfred's head abruptly shifted direction, causing the defiant strand on the top of his head to bounce up and down. "Oh! You're right! We have to find him, now!" Alfred pumped his fist triumphantly, and pointed east, where Arthur had boarded the bus.

Matthew gave his brother a broadly smile, "Let's do it."

 _White House, Washington D.C._

"Did you know… that when Andrew Jackson was elected president, he said something regarding 'giving the white house back to the people' and then proceeded to let everyone in and they all had a giant party?"

Arthur blinked at Kiku's statement, "What?"

Kiku nodded, quite proud of himself for supplying a historical fact that Arthur was unknown of. "Yes; it was a huge mess, it is said. Things were breaking and the White House was full of drunk Americans."

"Oh my God. Could you imagine if they had one of those now?"

"It would be something like… the purge," Kiku's lips tilted up in a thin smile.

Arthur laughed, "Oh, yeah. Definitely."

The White House was the last stop of the tour, as it _was_ where the President lived. Arthur and Kiku had both agreed to visit a museum subsequent to their tour. They learned some things about history from the tour and, eager to learn more, had chosen to go to a history museum.

The tour had ended very quickly (it had very little spots, considering it was free), heightening Arthur and Kiku's excitement of their trip to the museum.

The museum was smaller than most in the city, but still of substantial size. It was a towering white building that would usually stick out, but due to the abundance of towering white buildings in Washington D.C., it blent in quite well.

"Kiku, look at this," Arthur waved Kiku over to him, staring at a small teapot. "It's of beautiful design. How old do you think it is?"

"Very," Kiku brought his eyes to the small teapot. It was white and gold with intricate swirls of beige, or, in other words, something Arthur would use if he had the chance.

When they were finished admiring the piece of handiwork, Kiku suggested their go to the next floor. Arthur had been perpetually complaining the entire time they had been in the museum. Of course, Kiku didn't blame him. He probably felt like he was on fire and there was nothing he could do about it. It sounded torturous. Kiku felt bad for his friend, to say the least.

"The next floor is the 1700s, cool!" Arthur grinned at Kiku, and began to push the lift button. Just as the lift was coming down, though, Arthur began to sway. "It's… really hot. Like, really hot. Is it hot to you? It's… really hot to me; I feel like I'm melting." Arthur spoke in slurs, his voice wavering and knees becoming wobbly.

Kiku quickly caught him, giving him a shoulder to lean on (quite literally), and then helping him into the lift.

Arthur recomposed himself for a moment, balancing a hand on the back wall of the lift. "Thank you for that. I'm sorry; I'm not sure what came over me."

"Are you okay to move on?" Kiku's eyes met Arthur's, filled with genuine concern.

"Yeah, I'm just-" Arthur's sentence came to an abrupt stop as more people began to enter the lift. Suddenly, it was burning. He quite literally felt as if he were on fire. The pain was excruciating…

Arthur's eyes were closed in pain, teeth clenching. He was facing the back of the lift, a hand still on the wall to keep his balance.

Kiku looked up at the three people who had entered the lift. They all seemed to be of their age. Two of them looked to be brothers, the only difference being their hairstyles and shape of glasses. The third man was definitely taller than him, perhaps even taller than Arthur. He has platinum grey hair and piercing red eyes. An odd group, they were.

However, someone caught his eye. This man, with the stray strand of hair, was behaving in the exact same way that Arthur was. Suddenly, Kiku felt as if he had been seeing things in slow-motion all this time. The realisation hit him like a truck. This… This man… Was Arthur's _soulmate_. The word sounded foreign inside his head. Arthur was oblivious to the fact; he was practically _dying_ inside the lift, along with this other young man. Why wasn't he telling him?!

In Kiku's thoughts it felt as if an eternity had passed, although it had not even been two seconds in the real world. From the wide-mouthed look on the other's faces, they had realised it, too. Arthur was… oblivious, though. He had to tell him!

As fast as he could manage, Kiku turned around, shaking Arthur a bit, and then muttered, "Turn around!"

Kiku could hear from behind him some hushed whispers, unable to hear their exact words from Arthur's grunts of pain.

Arthur forced his eyes open and recollected himself. Oh, right. He wasn't on the sun. He was in a lift in Washington D.C. Who would've guessed?

Did he have a headache, now? Was he dying? It surely felt like it… What was he doing anyway-?

As soon as Arthur turned around, he suddenly caught eyes with… a tall a stranger with glasses, light-brown hair, and a look Arthur could only describe as being 'happily astonished'. His eyes were lost in Arthur's own, but somehow, neither felt the need to tear them away. Although Arthur had never met the stranger, he felt as if he had known him his entire life. It was… such a familiar face, yet he had never seen this man before.

The Soulmate Effect. It wasn't everything Arthur dreamed of; it was so much more. So, so much more. As soon as he looked into those bright blue eyes, he felt as if he had no worries. All events of the past had disappeared. Was this feeling… happiness? It didn't feel like happiness. It was something Arthur couldn't begin to describe, something no one in the _world_ could describe. From one look into his soulmate's eyes, he felt as if he were _floating._ All his worries had lifted from him like feathers, never to be seen again. He didn't just feel alive; this felt like a utopia. He felt as if he were floating in the clouds, never to come back down. This… was what it felt like on his 14th birthday. Wait… no. There was something else here that that one didn't have. It was an indescribable feeling, really. No such word could ever be created to describe the complete and absolute euphoria he was feeling at this moment. The Soulmate Effect was truly something.

It felt like an eternity had passed for Arthur. He couldn't find the will to tear his eyes away, but when he finally had, everything was different, one thing in particular.

He was no longer burning hot. Instead, it was a warm environment, with some hot air (that he could feel! He could feel it!) pointing at them all from above.

No one in the lift could dare to say anything. It was complete silence.

Arthur was the first to speak.

"Hi," Arthur's voice was quiet, more in a whisper than anything.

"Hi," his soulmate made the motion of what Arthur thought was supposed to be a wave.

"Maybe we should let them be. The lift is open, let's just… leave them be," Kiku whispered the words to the other two (Arthur recognised one of them as Gilbert from the lavatory - Wait, was the friend with the soulmate _his_ soulmate? He would have to speak to him about that later), ushering them out of the lift, the door apparently already have been opened. How long had they been staring at each other?

With the absence of the other three, his soulmate finally spoke. His voice was hushed and quiet, unable to recollect his thoughts, it seemed. "I'm Alfred."

Arthur couldn't help but smile. Alfred… What a lovely name.

At this point, Arthur finally managed to stop himself from speaking in a whisper. "I'm- I'm Arthur."

Why was he getting flustered at just speaking to someone? The Soulmate Effect really did live up to its promises…

"You're really pretty!" Alfred blurted the compliment out, then quickly covered his mouth in shock of his action.

Arthur felt his cheeks heat up. The realisation that he was actually _blushing_ made him blush even more. Alfred, seeing Arthur blush, had blushed himself. Soon enough, the boys were standing in the lift in silence, blushing back and forth with each other.

"Thank you, I, uh. You're really pretty too," Arthur spoke the words calmly, as if his cheeks weren't burning brighter than the sun.

"No, I mean! You're _really_ pretty! Gilbert described you to me, but you're way prettier than I imagined!" Alfred was waving his hands sporadically with a grin as wide as the Pacific.

So it _was_ Alfred who was looking for his soulmate! Arthur suddenly felt stupid at the realisation. How had he not figured it out?

"Gilbert is, uh. Your friend, right? I- I was in the toilets with him," the more Arthur spoke, the more he felt himself loosen up. This was... Incredibly odd. He had just met the man, but somehow… he felt as if he could trust him with anything, that he had known him his entire life and not just a few minutes. The Soulmate Effect was truly a remarkable thing…

"Oh my gosh, I know! I- Oh, should we step out of this elevator? It's kind of… yeah," Alfred's eyes lit up and he laughed, emitting a smile to Arthur.

His laugh was wonderful. It was happy and light and… it sort of… summed up the Soulmate Effect. Arthur had thought before of not knowing how to sum it up but… was Alfred's smile how he would sum up the Soulmate effect? It was… both wonderful and indescribable. Could he do that, describe two things with each other? Arthur didn't know and frankly didn't care… All he knew was that Alfred's smile gave him a feeling, a feeling saying "everything will go fine" and to Arthur, that was reassuring. After all of those years, who knew that he would find his soulmate and _be happy_? All of those kids who made fun of him for being late… Well, none of that mattered now. From the smile Alfred had on his face, the smile so full of love and light and pure happiness, Arthur was certain that he had a better soulmate than every kid at that school.

Despite not knowing Alfred for long... he felt it safe to say he was happy to be spending the rest of his life with this man.


	6. VI

Matthew knew what Alfred was feeling. After all, he had gone through it himself earlier in the year. That's why when Alfred asked if Gilbert, Matthew, and Arthur's friend could give them some time alone, he happily obliged.

Matthew had learnt that Arthur's Japanese friend was named Kiku. He seemed to be very reserved, much like Matthew himself. Hopefully this was a sign that they would get on well. Mutually, they decided that while Arthur and Alfred are getting to know each other, they would hang out and get to know each other as well, back at Gilbert's dorm, as Alfred had already claimed his dorm for Arthur.

Alfred and Arthur had taken a bus back to Alfred's dorm, each one blushing uncontrollably the entire time. They held tiny conversations, getting to know each other a bit more. By the end of the bus ride, they were talking excitingly about their interests and their life regarding the Soulmate Effect. When the two finally left the bus and touched campus ground, the particular topic of interest had become Arthur's trip to the United States.

"You went to see Lady Liberty!? No way! I've been there a few times, it's super cool! Did you go in the crown or the torch?" Alfred was acting like a little puppy, eyes lighting up with every word he spoke.

A small grin formed on Arthur's face, "The crown. It was incredibly beautiful from up there, especially the ocean."

After hearing Arthur speak, Alfred's eyes lit up brighter than that of a billion stars, "I love your voice! And your accent! A lot!"

Usually, if one was behaving this way toward Arthur, he would see it as pestering him and simply brush them off. But… this was _Alfred. His soulmate._ He couldn't help but be… endeared by it. Was this part of the Soulmate Effect or did he just feel this strongly about him?

As soon as Alfred spoke the words, Arthur felt his cheeks heat up. "W- _Thank you_. And… for the record. You have a nice voice as well." The words came out softly, but Alfred heard, despite the low volume.

"Really!? Can we be one of those cutesy couples that like, throw compliments at each other all the time?"

Arthur blushed once more (how many times had he blushed in the past minute?), stopping at the large campus doors.

"Or am I being too cheesy? I'm just so excited! Oh, wait! I don't even know your last name; what is it?" Alfred was behaving very loquaciously, not even stopping to take a breath. It came off more impressive than anything...

Arthur carried his luggage with one hand, attempting to open the large door with the other.

Alfred, seeing this, quickly took Arthur's luggage (very easily… strange considering how heavy it was) and opened the door for him.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Arthur's words were soft, yet filled with nothing but pure admiration. He was _really_ strong... Suddenly, Arthur recollected what Alfred had said. His… surname? Yes… They had no clue what each other's surnames were. That was a crucial factor in their relationship. Upon realising this, Arthur spoke without hesitation. "Kirkland."

Alfred watched Arthur's lips move. _Kirkland._ Testing it on his own lips, Alfred whispered "Kirkland" in slight disbelief. Arthur Kirkland. So, this is the man he had been waiting for all his life?

"What's yours? Your, uh, surname, I mean."

"Oh! Jones. Alfred F. Jones."

"What's the F stand for?" Arthur tilted his head at his soulmate in curiosity, making his way down the hallway and following Alfred to his room, wherever that may be.

Alfred only raised his eyebrows, a mischievous smile on his face, "Not telling~"

At this, Arthur faked a gasp, holding his hand to his chest, "What kind of disrespect. And to your _soulmate_ of all people."

Alfred rolled his eyes, leading Arthur to his door a few short metres away. "We're here! Sorry if it's a mess inside… I hadn't actually known that I would find you today!"

"Actually, I found _you_ ," Arthur let Alfred open the door for him, following suit inside. It wasn't entirely messy, only a few things on the floor.

"We met on an elevator," Alfred's tone was blank, humour hidden behind it.

Arthur shook his head, laughing, "I cannot believe we met in a lift of all places."

"Mmm, yes. How romantic. There were -what? - five people in there?"

"Yes, I believe so... Kiku, your brother, and Gilbert. And then us. Speaking of," Arthur set his luggage down and took a seat on what he assumed to be Alfred's bed (if the package of snack cakes didn't tell him otherwise). "Gilbert and… your brother? What are they like?"

"Well, you already met Gilbert and Matthew - by the way, that's my brother's name - in that bathroom. Matthew's pretty cool, so is Gilbert. Gilbert is a lot like me; he messes around a lot."

"Wait, you mess around a lot? How so?"

Alfred thought for a moment, "Well, we like to joke around. I'm definitely not a serious person. You strike me as a serious person. Are you?"

Arthur sputtered, "Wh- No, of course not. My eloquent mannerisms and outward appearance mean nothing! I can joke around." Arthur searched Alfred's face. He didn't seem convinced.

"Uh huh. I think that's just a cover-up, Arthur. You're just a stuffy old man on the inside, aren't you?"

Arthur picked up a snack cake from the bed and threw it in Alfred's direction, aiming for his head. Alfred, surprising Arthur, caught it without so much of a glance, eyes still in contact with Arthur's.

Arthur laughed, "Really? Are you some sort of super human? First you lift that luggage with one arm like it's nothing, and now you use ninja reflexes or something to catch that snack!" Arthur waved his hands around sporadically, emitting a whole-hearted laugh from Alfred.

His laugh was… nice, to say the least. It was a bit loud, but somehow, Arthur didn't seem to mind. From what he had spoken with Alfred thus far in their camaraderie, they seemed very different from each other, yet they were _soulmates_. Despite the difference in personalities, something deep inside Arthur told him this was the man he was destined to be with from the day he was born. Or was it when Alfred was born? Arthur really wasn't sure, and he didn't have the motivation to think at the time. All he wanted to do was talk to his soulmate.

"Oh! I- How old are you? You're younger than I am, yes? I experienced the Soulmate Effect when I was fourteen, so I'm only assuming…" Arthur sat up straight on the bed, looking at Alfred with curious eyes.

"No way! That means you're four years older than me! You _are_ an old man!"

"Twenty-three is not old!"

As soon as Arthur revealed his age (Alfred had the numbers; why had he not done the math?), his mouth opened in shock, "You're twenty-three?! No way! I can't believe my soulmate is an actual adult! Do you have a job and everything?"

Arthur rolled his eyes lovingly (Alfred really was fun to talk to… His facetiousness was comforting), "First, answer my question! Then I'll see if I want to answer yours." Arthur leaned back on the headboard and crossed his legs, his arms laying lips at his sides.

Alfred fell back as well, landing next to Arthur. Now, they were both laying down on the bed, about twenty centimetres apart. Up close… Alfred really was beautiful. Arthur felt foolish thinking it, but he really was. His blond hair fell in waves, blocking the view of his clear, blue eyes (Arthur had always preferred blue eyes - it was sort of funny how his soulmate had them… Perhaps that was why he preferred them? The universe was strange). Alfred's lips were tilted up in a small smile, leading Arthur to believe that he was thinking the same about him. It was an odd thought, but nevertheless, comforting.

Although only a few seconds had passed, it felt like a lifetime to Arthur. At one point in thought, Arthur had closed his eyes, and began to drift to sleep. What an exhausting day it had been… All the events that had happened in the past day seemed weeks apart.

Back at the nurse's office in New Jersey (what had been her name again? Angelica, was it?), the fact that he was going to meet his soulmate seemed surreal. And now, here he was, lying beside him in Washington D.C. Arthur had remembered thinking that it would be a week until he found him, but to meet him later that day was unbelievable. Yet again, he did feel the burning pain… that wasn't very fun. But he was _here_. With his _soulmate_.

Growing up, society had always put so much importance on the Soulmate Effect. They said it was the utmost important thing one will do in their entire life. Some people had even said that they are born to find their soulmate and nothing else; that was their purpose in life. If that were true… Why did Arthur feel as if he had the entire world ahead of him?

Alfred must have thought that Arthur had fallen asleep at this point, because Arthur felt a sudden weight on his chest and two arms around him.

His breathing hilted for a moment, emitting a quick rise and fall in his chest. As Alfred began to get comfortable, practically wrapping his limbs around him at this point, Arthur's thoughts began to race.

 _He'sonmehe'sonmehe'sonmethisshouldn'tefeelnormalbutitissomehowireallywanttoopenmyeyesandlookathimbutidontwanthimtopullawayohgod_

Arthur kept his eyes closed, despite the craving he had to open them and look at Alfred. If Alfred were to notice he was still awake, would he let go? Arthur really didn't want him to let go… It felt… nice, having him on his chest like this.

If Arthur wasn't blushing before, he certainly was now. Alfred's hand had moved from Arthur's side to _his_ hand, taking it tightly in his own.

He shouldn't have been acting the way he was; he was _twenty-four_. How could one person get Arthur to behave so irrationally? They had only met an hour ago or so, but… Arthur felt as if he had known him for centuries.

Alfred's breaths were soft on his chest. Arthur could feel the heat let off from his breath seep into his shirt and touch his skin, engulfing Arthur in nothing but Alfred's warmth.

Soon enough, Arthur began to feel languid, his once-detailed thoughts becoming incoherent babbles. He fell asleep promptly, nothing but quiet breaths filling the room.

Alfred awoke first, blushing as he found himself on Arthur's chest. Right… He did do that, didn't he? Carefully, Alfred rolled over to the other side of the bed, trying not to wake Arthur.

His thoughts were unreal. Everything seemed unreal. He had remembered meeting his soulmate (how would he be able to forget?) and taking the bus to the campus with him, all whilst talking non-stop about themselves and anything they could think about.

Waking up the next morning, the past day on repeat in his brain, was strange, to see the least. He had a soulmate! A soulmate! A soulmate that was sleeping right here on the bed with him!

If Alfred had gone back in time and told himself a week ago that he would be lying alongside his soulmate on his bed, he wouldn't have believed himself...

Watching everyone else find their soulmates was normal; Alfred thought nothing of it. Even with Matthew, he hadn't thought that much into it about what _he_ must have been feeling. But… now Alfred was experiencing it… It was as if he was finally understanding why Matthew had spent countless nights with Gilbert, leaving Alfred alone in their dorm.

Speaking of… Where were they? He felt it safe to say that Matthew spent the night at Gilbert's, but what about Arthur's friend? What was his name again… Kiku? Right. Kiku. That was the Japanese one.

Suddenly, Alfred heard a small groan from beside him, bringing his eyes to the sleeping Arthur on the bed. Immediately upon seeing his soulmate's sleeping form, Alfred's lips tilted up in a small smile. He really was cute sleeping. Last night, he couldn't help but to cuddle up with him. He wasn't sure if Arthur was awake or not, but he decided the latter. Arthur would have said something, right?

It was about nine in the morning, a usual time for Alfred to wake up. Arthur didn't seem to be one to oversleep, but it was difficult for Alfred to say. Although they were soulmates, they _had_ just met a day previous. Alfred didn't know much about him, other than the fact that he was seemingly an introvert with a strong vocabulary.

From appearance, Alfred could assume that the two were very different personality-wise.

"Unhh…"

Alfred's eyes flickered from Arthur's face down to his arms, where he is grabbing nowhere in particular and mumbling incoherent words.

Alfred's mouth opened in awe, his cheeks tinting a slight red. _Was he looking for Alfred?_

"That's so cute," Alfred spoke the words aloud, more to himself than Arthur. Hesitantly, he moved his lips toward Arthur's forehead, and gently brushed the hair that was there to the side. Gently, Alfred let his lips touch his soulmate's forehead, a surge of energy going through him. Although he had only kissed his forehead, Alfred's cheeks heated up at the feeling of Arthur's warm skin on his lips.

They had only known each other for less than a day… Why did it feel as if they had known each other for centuries, for as long as he could remember?

It was a strange feeling, to say the least.

Slowly, Alfred lifted his head, carefully climbing over Arthur, feet meeting the ground. The carpet was soft underneath his toes, an unusual feeling considering he had accidentally fallen asleep in shoes the night previous. He must have kicked them off in the middle of the night due to discomfort.

Alfred brought his eyes to Arthur's feet, finding that Arthur, too, had removed his shoes in the middle of the night. He was wearing socks (sporting the Doctor Who logo, Alfred had noted), one rolled halfway down his left foot.

Just as Alfred was about to locate his missing shoes (and Arthur's, for that matter), there was a faint knock on the door, just loud enough for Alfred to hear.

"Hello? Is this… Alfred's dorm?" The voice Alfred heard was soft-spoken, quiet, and definitely accented.

Alfred made his way over to the door, opening it without hesitation. He was met with a short man, whose eyes were scouring around the dorm, catching sight of the sleeping Arthur.

Alfred recognised the man right away as Alfred's friend, Kiku. They had barely spoken more than a few words to each other, so Kiku was staring at the ground as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. If he was uncomfortable, Alfred didn't notice it.

"Hey! You're Kiku, right? I'm Alfred," Alfred smiled brightly and held his hand out to Kiku, who shook it with reluctance.

"May I come in?" Kiku's folded his hands together in front of him, fiddling with his fingers.

"Yeah! You come here for Arthur, or…?"

"Matthew and Gilbert sent me over to make sure you both were awake. They said you probably wouldn't, but…," Kiku dragged out the word, glancing over toward Arthur, who was still sleeping soundly on the bed, "it seems that it was the other way around. Arthur must have had an exhausting day yesterday to be sleeping at this hour. I was very tired. I could only imagine how he must have felt."

At this, Alfred perked up. "What? He usually wakes up early?"

"Yes… He'll text me very early in the morning. Too early, if you ask me. I need my sleep," Kiku smiled smally, looking up at Alfred.

Although Kiku did not intend for his comment to be humorous, Alfred laughed as if it were the funniest thing he had heard all month. It was strange, Kiku thought. Alfred seemed exuberant and energetic, two things Arthur was most definitely not.

Kiku's eyes turned from the floor to Alfred, who was flashing Kiku a starry-eyed smile. Yes… He did seem very different from Arthur, just from appearance. He was a bit taller than Arthur, making him taller than Kiku, of course. His build was also slightly different than that of Arthur's, but Kiku couldn't quite pinpoint what was different about it, other than the height.

"Oh, yeah! Why did Gilbert and Mattie say that they wanted us up? Did they tell you?" Alfred fell back into a chair behind him, the sudden force causing it to spin.

Kiku shook his head, "No. All they said was that they wanted me to check to see if you were up, but I am assuming that they wanted to do something, the four of us."

"Ohh," Alfred's voice was a bit over what some might call "inside volume", causing Arthur to stir restlessly in his sleep.

Kiku's head turned over to Arthur. It was odd for him to be sleeping this late. He _really_ must have had an exhausting day yesterday to sleep in _this_ late… Rather than waking him up, Kiku decided to let him be. He certainly needed the rest after yesterday's events.

"I should be going back now… But when Arthur wakes up, could you both come down to Matthew's dorm? I'll be down there, too." Kiku smiled smally at Alfred, walking backwards toward the door, reaching for the handle.

"Yeah! Sure thing! I'll make sure to be there as soon as possible, because I know how antsy Gilbert can get," Alfred rolled his eyes, crossing his legs on the chair.

Kiku nodded, waving to Alfred before closing the door behind him and making his way down the hallway.

As Alfred watched Kiku leave, he stood up from the chair to face Arthur again. Arthur really did look peaceful… His lips were tilted in a small smile, little breaths puffing out every two seconds or so.

Matthew and Gilbert had wanted the two of them up, presumably to do something with them and Kiku. It was probably Gilbert's idea, to be honest… It did seem like something Gilbert would do. After all, he was practically dying to meet Alfred's soulmate (being one of Alfred's best friends and all).

Speaking of… how did Matthew feel about Arthur? They had barely spoken, but something told Alfred that they would get on well. Arthur seemed to have a sort of responsibility thing about him… He couldn't quite describe it, but he found the same trait in his brother. Those two would most likely get on well, but what about Gilbert?

It was at this moment when Alfred realised that he barely knew anything about Arthur, other than the information he gathered speaking with him for an hour. It wasn't much, mostly small things, but still… It was something. Despite the small amount of time they had known each other, Alfred couldn't help but feel as if he had known this man for years… his entire life, even.

Alfred's attention was suddenly brought to the sleeping Arthur, who, as it seemed, was finally waking up. Arthur yawned, stretching his arms out beside him, before rolling over to the other side of the bed, muttering disjointed drivels into the duvet.

"Are you awake yet? You've been sleeping forever," Alfred spoke without hesitation, causing Arthur to spasm and look up at Alfred with sleepy eyes, as if he forgot he was in _his_ dorm to begin with.

"Oh... Right. What time is it? I fell asleep so quickly last night…"

Alfred turned his head to look at the digital clock on the bookshelf. "Like, 9:30 or something. It's still early."

Arthur blinked twice, staring at Alfred as if he had just said something completely mad, " _Early?_ "

"Yeah! Ohh, right… Kiku said that you were an early bird. I'm a bit of a night owl, myself."

"Wait, Kiku was here? When did you talk to him?"

"Literally just a few minutes ago. Speaking of…" Alfred was no longer sitting in the chair by his desk, and was now sitting on the bed beside Arthur, "He came over here to say that Gilbert and Mattie wanted us to go over there. Probably to do something fun... Definitely Gil's idea."

Arthur nodded, his feet finding the ground, and lifted himself up from the bed. "Where did you put my suitcase?"

"Over there," Alfred gestured his head to the corner of the room where Arthur's small suitcase was sitting.

"Thank you," Arthur smiled smally (a rare occurrence for him, considering how scarcely he smiled at others like that) at Alfred, who was practically beaming with pride at getting a smile out of the older man.

"You never answered my question last night, you know. You just kind of fell asleep on me."

Alfred's abrupt comment caused Arthur to turn his head, hands blindly searching for the zipper of the suitcase. "Huh? What question? I don't… remember any question. I mean, I always answer... Did I answer?"

"I asked you if you had a job. What's your life like, you know? This is important stuff, Artie."

Rather than answering the question at hand, Arthur raised his eyebrows at the nickname, "Artie?"

"Oh, yeah!" Alfred stood up from the bed and began stretching his arms above his head, "I thought it was cute, you know? Arthur sounds too professional… Artie is definitely more laid back. Plus… you are art, Arthur. You look like you were sculpted by Michelangelo himself."

Ignoring the heat erupting on his cheeks, Arthur threw a pillow across the room at Alfred, for once catching him off guard. "How incredibly cheesy. Please don't tell me you're one of those lovey dovey soulmates."

Alfred grinned at this, a dopey grin which made Arthur's heart pump ten times as fast inside his chest. Then, Alfred replied, "Not really, but… I felt it was necessary, yeah? Do you want me to stop, cos I can if you want…?"

"No, no. It's fine. I actually find your sappiness quite… endearing, to say the least."

"Really? Then I'll continue! I-"

As Alfred was about to speak again, Arthur, now facing him, covered his mouth, emitting a simper himself. "Before you do, I think we should get ready. I've had a nice night's rest, and now I believe you should introduce me to Matthew and Gilbert, although I've already met both in the toilets… Never mind that... The toilets aren't exactly the high spot for socialisation, now are they?"

"Right! Do you need clothes, or did you bring some?"

"Alfred, do you really think I would travel all the way to the United States and not bring clothes?"

"Hey, I'm just checking," Alfred's eyes twinkled, flashing his soulmate (was it safe to say boyfriend? Were they boyfriends? The Soulmate Effect was confusing… Alfred needed to ask his brother about that sometime…) a thumbs-up.

Arthur laughed, amused at Alfred's behaviour, and began searching through his suitcase for some proper attire for the day. Finally, he settled with a grey T-Shirt, along with some light brown khakis and black shoes.

Upon laying eyes on Arthur's choice in outfit, Alfred frowned, "Do you need a jacket?"

"Huh? What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Arthur looked down at his clothes, examining them for any hidden stains or rips.

"Nothing! I just think you'd look better with a jacket. Hey, I have one, if you want to wear it? It'll give you the sporty look! I want to see if it fits you."

"If- The sporty look?" Arthur raised his eyebrows in sudden interest. Arthur wasn't the sporty type… He never was. He was always picked last in sports days at school… What was Alfred thinking?

"Yeah! I think it would suit you… You have the look."

Arthur scoffed, "I have the look?"

"C'mon… It's Adidas! Adidas is the best of the best… It'll look great with that outfit! I'm not leaving until you wear it," With this declaration, Alfred crossed his arms and sat on the bed.

The two sat in silence for a few moments, the only sound being the occasional bed squeak.

What was Arthur to lose if he wore the jacket anyway? He didn't even know what it looked like. Plus… it _was_ always nice to try new things occasionally… He was overreacting. He should just wear the jacket.

"Fine…" Arthur spoke, his voice filled with defeat.

At Arthur's comment, Alfred lifted his head, his eyes lighting up. "Really? You will? Okay! It's in the closet, lemme get it…"

So, Arthur stood, hands folded together, watching Alfred rummage through his wardrobe for the jacket.

Finally, after a few moments, Alfred pulled something out, shouting, "Aha!"

In Alfred's hand was not some dreadful jacket, but a quite fashionable red jacket with white lines down the arms, the left breast supporting the reputable Adidas logo. Alfred's expression was that of an excited puppy's, if not exact.

"I suppose it isn't dreadful… And it does match with my outfit… I'll look something like a football player," Arthur smiled, eyes tilting upward toward Alfred.

Out of the short time he had spent with Alfred, it did seem to be much longer… He felt as if he knew all about Alfred, never mind the obvious. From what he had learnt, Alfred was easily excitable and demonstrated qualities that Arthur couldn't help but be attracted to. They truly were opposites... Was this why the world had matched them together?

Arthur studied Alfred's features. He always had a smile on his face… Of course, it was a lovely smile, but Arthur found it odd. There certainly weren't things in the world to smile about, but somehow, Alfred always found a reason to smile. It was a charming trait, Arthur had to admit. Cute, even.

"You'd look so good in it! Put it on! Put it on!" Alfred's fists were clenched tight, stars in his eyes.

Arthur rolled his eyes, slipping one arm into the jacket, "fine, but if I look bad, I'm taking it off."

"You'd never look bad! You could wear a garbage bag and you'd still look good."

Arthur gave off a laugh showing much resemblance to a snort, "is that supposed to be a compliment? If so, I appreciate it, or at least your attempt."

Once Arthur put on the jacket, he turned around, so he was facing a mirror. He didn't look all too bad… Although he did resemble a football player quite a bit... It was definitely not his style, but if it made Alfred happy, then he supposed he could give it a try.

"You look so cool! And sporty! The look definitely suits you," Alfred was standing beside Arthur, looking into the mirror. It was at this time when Arthur noticed the height difference between them. It wasn't much of a difference, but nevertheless, a difference, even if the slightest.

"I look like a football player."

"Yeah, but you look _good_. I think soccer, er, _football_ players dress really cool! It fits you… I swear!" Alfred continuously nodded his head up and down.

"It's a bit big on me as well…" Arthur slouched his arms, causing the left sleeve to fall down a bit. Seeing this, Alfred quickly pulled it back up, his hand resting on Arthur's shoulder longer than he had intended.

Arthur didn't mind, of course, but there was no way he was ever going to admit this out loud, even to his soulmate (well, maybe).

Being in Alfred's jacket was comforting, in a soulmate sort of way. It was… as if Alfred was wrapped around him at that moment. It was nice. Was this why Alfred had him wear his jacket or had he legitimately thought he would look good in it?

Arthur faced the mirror again, straightening the jacket a bit at the bottom. He didn't look horrible, but his hair didn't suit it all that well. He looked like he was modelling for the cover of a FIFA video game. It wasn't much Arthur's style, but Alfred seemed to love it, given he had actual stars in his eyes.

"You look sceptical, but I _swear_ , you look good. You don't have to wear it… I just think you look good!"

Arthur turned around, once more examining himself in the mirror, "I… wouldn't be opposed to wearing something of yours, but I don't think this is my style."

Alfred nodded in understanding, "That's fine! Do you just wanna wear something of yours?"

"For time's sake, yes. I'm only saying this because I do believe you said that Gilbert was impatient? I'd hate to make him, and the others wait…"

"Oh, Gilbert is totally impatient. We should probably leave soon. Good call!" Alfred began walking toward the door, then stopped, looking back at Arthur, "I'm going to get something to eat. There's a place downstairs. Do you want anything? An… English muffin, perhaps?" Alfred stifled a laugh at his joke.

Arthur rolled his eyes, " _Anything_ is fine."

"'Aight. I'll be back in a few," Alfred closed the door behind him, leaving Arthur alone in the room.

Gosh… How much time had passed since he had met him? They were acting so _casually_ toward each other. Alfred had expected it to at least be a little bit awkward. This was his soulmate, and they both knew the world wanted them together. He didn't know what he expected, but it was… odd. Everything was happening so fast, it was like nothing was happening at all. Did that make sense? It didn't seem like it, but… in Alfred's mind, it did. The Soulmate Effect was weird.

The stairs leading down to The Lounge curved downward, giving the interior a more modern look. Leading down into The Lounge were many transparent tables, and behind them, counters to order food.

It wasn't empty, but it wasn't filled either. There were a few open tables, some of which were still covered in crumbs people hadn't bothered to clean up. A variety of breakfast foods were set out at the counter for people to pick and choose what they would like.

It did look appetising… Alfred would probably grab a donut, but would Arthur want one as well? He seemed to be one who wasn't very fond of sweets, so Alfred decided to grab a bagel for him.

When Alfred arrived back at his dorm, he was pleased to see that Arthur was already dressed and ready to leave. Upon seeing his soulmate (again - was it okay for him to call him his boyfriend? Who measured these things?), Arthur smiled brightly, causing Alfred himself to smile.

"I brought you a bagel! It's blueberry~! Wait- You're not allergic to blueberries, are you?" Alfred's look of happiness was replaced momentarily with a look of concern.

Arthur waved his hand dismissively, "Oh, don't worry. I love blueberries. And bagels! I rarely have these, you know."

Alfred handed the plate over to Arthur before pulling a small juice box out of his pocket. "Tada~! It's orange juice! I figured you'd want something to drink, so I got this."

Arthur laughed, "A box carton of juice? Thank you, I appreciate it."

"Are you ready to go? We can just eat this stuff on the way over there. It's not a long walk."

"Alright, but you lead the way. I don't know my way around this place."

"Yep! It's really easy, though! You can figure it out in no time."

Arthur nodded, following Alfred out the door, food in hand. The walk there wasn't very long, as Alfred had said. It was a fairly short distance, but long enough for the two to share some time to talk.

"I work at a publishing firm, by the way."

Alfred turned his head beside him toward Arthur, "Huh? Oh, that! You do? What do you do there?"

"Well, I revise books and make sure there are no mistakes in them. However, the building is undergoing construction at the moment, which is why I'm here. I decided to travel here on a whim. It was… unbeknownst to me that you would be here as well."

"How so? Didn't you know where your soulmate was?"

Arthur took a bite of his bagel, waiting to swallow it before he continued speaking. "Sort of. I just forget, is all."

"Woah! No way! How could you forget?"

Arthur sighed and stopped abruptly by a corner, causing Alfred to stop as well.

"I just wasn't… as focussed on the Soulmate Effect as everyone else was. I honestly wasn't hoping to explain this to _you_ , but … Ah. I didn't get the Soulmate Effect until I was fourteen, which is a considerable age over what was considered 'the norm' at my school. I was just bullied about it in early secondary school. That's all. It was a long time ago and I'm over it, so it's resolved."

Alfred's eyes widened. "What!? They bullied you because of _that_!?"

"Kids were kids. They were mean. It was only in their nature."

"I'll beat up every kid who was ever mean to you!" Alfred clenched his fist, flashing Arthur a triumphant smile.

"Those 'kids' aren't kids anymore and are a good four years older than you."

"I can take them! I'm super strong; I swear!"

Arthur laughed, "Alright. If you ever happen to be in London and catch them, I'll allow you to beat them up."

"Yes!" Alfred pumped his fist in the air, emitting (yet again), another smile from Arthur. Arthur found himself smiling a lot around him, but… he didn't seem to mind. It was… nice.

Alfred was very exuberant and full of life, a trait Arthur himself lacked, but desired in others. He found himself having fun when Alfred was around… It seemed that wherever he was, that's where Arthur's happiness would be.

"Gilbert's dorm is over here, come on!" Alfred grabbed Arthur's hand and dragged him around the corner to a door. By the way Alfred was looking at the door, Arthur presumed that they had arrived.

Rather than knocking on the door, Alfred opened it, catching eyes with Gilbert, Matthew, and Kiku.

"Finally! You guys were taking forever!" Gilbert jumped from his bed, walking over to the door, stopping when he caught sight of Alfred and Arthur's intertwined hands.

Gilbert raised his eyebrows at the sight, "Oh, _now_ I see why."

At Gilbert's comment, both Matthew and Kiku looked down at their hands. Matthew grinned, and Arthur could have sworn he had seen Kiku grin as well.

Arthur immediately felt a blush take place on his cheeks.

Alfred, being the extrovert he was, only scoffed, "Come on~! You guys know we're soulmates and that's how soulmates are. You two know especially," Alfred lifted his hand (that just so happened to be the one in Arthur's) up, causing Arthur's hand to lift as well, gesturing toward Matthew and Gilbert.

"I know! We're only teasing. It's nice to see you finally having to find your soulmate," Matthew smiled warmly at the two (Arthur had noted that Matthew looked exactly like Alfred, only with curlier hair and a more distinct jawline), then continued, " _I_ suggested that we leave you two be. You would probably want some time to yourselves. _Gilbert_ wanted us to get together and play Mario Kart."

Alfred's grip on Arthur's hand tightened as he jumped up, a look of pure delight on his face. "No way! Really!? Oh, Artie, have you ever played Mario Kart?"

"Yes, although it's been a long time. I've still got game, though," Arthur smirked, looking Alfred straight in the eyes.

"Oh, you're _on_."

"Do we have enough DSes? There are five of us, after all," Kiku spoke from the bed, his eyes pointed toward Matthew.

Matthew nodded. "Oh, definitely. There's a stash in here whenever we want to play. We only have four games, though, so one of us it going to have to be Shy Guy."

As soon as the words were spoken, groans were heard throughout the room.

"I hate Shy Guy! He's so useless," Alfred threw his head back.

"Which one of us is going to be Shy Guy, then? It's not me or Mattie, because it's our dorm, pretty much," Gilbert pulled out a basket of DSes, having each person take one. When he got to Alfred and Arthur, he stopped. "Alright, you're either going to have to stop holding hands, or drop your food."

Alfred gave Arthur a look of remorse, "Sorry, I need my donut."

Arthur rolled his eyes at Alfred's silliness, taking his now-free hand to his chest, "Oh, no, you've wounded me so."

"I can be Shy Guy," Kiku raised his hand slightly.

"A true hero," Gilbert passed out the Mario Kart games to everyone but Kiku, putting his own into the DS.

Once the game started up, Kiku turned on the DS and caught the name on the screen. Antonio? Who's that?"

"Oh! You got Tonio's DS! He's just a friend of ours, but you can change the name to whatever. These DSes belong to me and Matthew, but we kind of just let everyone play them."

Kiku nodded, going into the settings to change the nickname. After changing it, he went into the DS Download Play and waited for Mario Kart to appear. When it had, he clicked it.

"Do you guys want Shine Runners, Balloon Battle, or Versus?" Gilbert asked.

"Balloon Battle, definitely."

"It doesn't matter."

"Anything but Shine Runners."

"Balloon Battle."

"Okay, so Balloon Battle it is! Get ready to get beat, losers."

"I wouldn't speak so lowly of yourself, Gilbert," Arthur cooed.

"Which character are you? I'll beat you into the dust!"

"There's no way I'll tell! I guess you'll just have to wait… It'll come to you when you're least expecting it."

Gilbert groaned, "Fine! Just you wait… I'll beat _you_."

And so, the game began. It was an intense game, to say the least. There was lots of trash talk filling the room, most of which was coming from Gilbert. Both Alfred and Arthur had decided to team up against Gilbert, using whatever they had against him, making him the first of them to get out.

"No fair! You guys ganged up on me," Gilbert groaned, setting his DS on the desk in front of him. "I'm not going to give any of you free boxes then."

"I don't want your filthy boxes," Alfred said, a sense of jest in his tone.

"No!" Arthur suddenly shouted, collapsing onto the floor (What? He had a fun side). "Kiku!" Arthur lifted his head toward Kiku, throwing his stylus at him.

Kiku only shrugged, a small smirk taking place on his face. He thought he was so sly...

"You know what you did! And a banana peel of all things! How foolish of me…"

"Did you… literally get out by slipping on a banana peel?" Alfred snickered, looking at Arthur's screen.

Suddenly, a noise came from Alfred's screen, and then, a scream. "What!? Kiku just got me out!"

At this point in the game, only three characters were remaining: Bowser, Toad, and Shy Guy.

"Mattie! Take my box! You're Toad, right?" Alfred said.

The room was absolute chaos. Everyone was on edge. Everyone, except, apparently, Kiku, who was laying back on the bed, playing the game with one hand! The audacity he had!

"Yeah, hand it over. I'm going to get Bowser out first, then I'll be heading for Shy Guy," Matthew was completely submerged into the game, focussing on nothing else but the screen. "Ha! I got Bowser's purple balloon."

"One mushroom or three?"

"Three."

"Nice! Now g-"

"No!"

Alfred looked over to Matthew, finding him with his head hanging down in defeat. Then, he brought his attention to his own screen.

"No way! _You_ won?" Gilbert's mouth hung open, staring at Kiku with wide eyes.

"It's because he's Japanese. The Japanese are always good at Mario Kart," Alfred shrugged.

Matthew stared at his brother, "Alfred! That's kind of stereotypical, don't you think?"

"It's true," Kiku's voice was calm across the room, bringing all eyes to him. "Arthur should have warned you - no one beats me at Mario Kart."

"It's true, really. I just forget to share that little detail with you lot…" Arthur gave a small smile, causing Gilbert, Matthew, and Alfred to groan.

"Do you have any other games we could play?" Kiku asked.

Gilbert turned his head. "What? So, you could beat us at those, now?"

"Yes, preferably."

Arthur stifled a laugh from beside Alfred. Kiku seemed quiet and humble on the outside, but, unbeknownst to most, he was funny. The two had similar personalities and a common sense of humour, so it was a given that they were friends.

Everyone seemed to be getting along, much to Arthur's delight. The worst thing would be his friend and his soulmate (along with Gilbert and Matthew) not getting along with Kiku, but Arthur found that outcome unlikely. Kiku was easy to get along with.

Arthur felt a hand snake over to him, and, eventually, rest itself atop of Arthur's hand. Arthur brought his eyes up from the DS to meet a smiling Alfred, and then a squeeze of a hand.

Arthur smiled in return, feeling his heart squeeze in itself. His feelings around Alfred were… odd. Was it science? How did it work? All he knew was that whenever he was around him, his heart felt like it was doing a million somersaults, all to the beat of Alfred.

Arthur decided to keep his hand in Alfred's. It was nice, the two of them. Having these little moments with Alfred was… amazing, really. Arthur felt cheesy thinking it, but it really was true.

These little moments would make up their relationship, define "Arthur and Alfred."


End file.
